Effects of ethyl-α-d-glucoside on human dermal fibroblasts

Ethyl α-d-glucoside (α-EG) is a glycoside present in sake, Japanese rice wine. Previous studies have reported that α-EG suppresses skin roughness after ultraviolet B irradiation, transepidermal water loss, and hepatic function disorder, and has a skin moisturizing effect. In this study, 0.48 μM of α-EG was found to increase the proliferation of normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) by 121.0%, and the amount of collagen I produced by NHDF increased by 159.6% at an α-EG concentration of 0.048 μM, compared to those in cells cultured without α-EG. In NHDF cultured in α-EG-supplemented medium, the expression of fibroblast growth factor I and VII mRNA increased by 148.8 and 153.1%, at an α-EG concentration of 4.8 and 0.048 μM, respectively, as measured by a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Transcript levels of type I collagen genes, COL1A1 and COL1A2, increased by 152.4 and 129.7%, respectively, and that of a type III collagen gene, COL3A1, increased by 131.8% at an α-EG concentration of 0.48 μM. These findings supported the possibility that α-EG was involved in the maintenance and improvement of skin homeostasis and moisturizing functions.