Kinetin (N6-Furfuryladenine)

Kinetin is a naturally occurring adenosine derivative found primarily in plants, where it functions as a potent hormone. Its structural basis is built off an adenosine core structure, which can be naturally derivatized to yield various analogues. Kinetin has been used topi­cally in cosmetic products for some time, but its specific mechanism of action has not been elucidated. While it can stimulate plant-cell growth and have antisenescence effects, in human fibroblast cell culture, even very low levels (ppm)of Kinetin can delay the onset of changes associated with cell aging, for example, appearance of lipofuscin, appearance of multinucleate cells, and microtubule disorganization [38]. Clinically, moisturizers contain­ing kinetin have been evaluated at 0.1% levels in three reported studies and has been found to have effects on appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, texture, and hyperpigmentation. While there was no placebo control included, it is not clear how robust the effects were, though it was deemed to be significant based also on dermatologist grading.