Red grape antioxidant could reduce side effects of treating acne

A compound derived from red grapes and found in red wine may be an effective treatment for acne, particularly when combined with an already existing medication for the disorder.

The FDA has warned that the use ofingredient benzoyl peroxide, commonlyused to treat acne, could cause severereactions. However, new researchpublished in the journal Dermatology and Therapy claimed that the use ofantioxidant resveratrol, in combinationwith benzoyl peroxide, can reduce thetoxicity, making it less reactive on theskin while still killing bacteria. A team of researchers appliedresveratrol and benxoyl peroxide tocolonies of P.acnes bacteria and assessedtheir antibacterial effects for 10 days.

They found resveratrol, an antioxidantthat prevents free radicals forming,appears to kill acne bacteria by weakeningits outer membranes. The team found thatwhen both ingredients were combinedthey killed bacteria at all concentrations,and the effect lasted longer. Separately, researchers from biotechcompany AOBiome have developeda skin product that could help thetreatment of acne by restoring levelsof a friendly type of bacteria know asammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB). AOB is a major compound of sweatand important to nitrification processes.The researchers tested the idea thatbecause ammonia oxidation productsnitrite and nitric oxide are importantfor skin function such as reduction ofinflammation and wound healing, thenthe AOB could have a similar effect. From a group of 24 human volunteers,the 12 that used the AOB solution reportedbetter skin condition and appearancecompared to the 12 that used a placebo.

Dr Larry Weiss, chief medical officerat AOBiome, said they are now planningto carry out clinical trials to test how wellAOB treats acne.