The pharmacologic activity of grape seed extract (GS) along with French maritime pinebark (Pinus pinaster) extract primarily resides in the potent antioxidant proanthocyanidins. These are the two richest natural sources and most commercially viable. Other rich natural sources include green and black tea, red wine, red apple, red cabbage, black currant, sangre de drago, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, black cherry, cranberry, peanut skins, almonds,
cocoa, parsley, onions, legumes, hawthorn, and witch hazel bark (3,22). The standardized pinebark extract is patent protected Pycnogenal (PYC), which has been the generic term for proanthocyanidins. These polyphenolic bioflavonoids are also known as procyanidins, procyandiol oligomers, leukoanthocyanidins, condensed tannins, and oligomeric proantho – cyanidins (OPCs). OPCs consist of dimers of catechins and oligomers of epicatechin and catechin and their gallic acid esters. These compounds are scavengers of both reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. GS also includes other therapeutic compounds including flavonoids such as kaempferol and quercetin glucosides, stilbenes such as resveratrol and viniferins, fruit acids, tocopherols, essential fatty acids, and phenylacrylic acids such as caffeoyl and feruloylsuccinic acid. Resveratol is a potent antioxidant which inhibits angiogenesis and carcinogenesis, is antiviral against herpes, and has phytoestrogen activity. PYC also contains monomeric epicatechin and catechin (3,22,40).
GS applied topically improved cutaneous photoprotection to UVB, inhibits histamine synthesis, promotes wound healing, reduces apoptosis induced by chemotherapy, reduces vascular engorgement, is cytotoxic to adenocarcinoma, and inhibits streptococcus. GS protects DNA against oxidation more effectively than vitamins C and E and stabilizes collagen and elastin by inhibiting MMPs. It treats chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and postoperative edema in clinical studies. All these functions of GS strongly suggest is should improve photoaged skin and protect against further damage. GS has been used for centuries in Asia to treat a variety of cutaneous conditions (3,22,40).
PYC increases nitric oxide levels, stimulates T and B cell function, inhibits nuclear receptor transcription factors nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) and AP-1 and the adhesion molecule ICAM-1 as well as IFN-gamma. It recycles both vitamins C and E. Topically applied PYC reduces sunburn, immunosupression, and tumor formation by UV light while raising the minimal erythema dose in mice (22,29). PYC administered orally reduced the area of severity of melasma within 30 days and the signs and symptoms of CVI by 60 days (29).
A topical formulation consisting of grape seed, jojoba, lavender, rosemary, and thyme was to treat alopecia areata. After seven months of daily use, statistically significant improvement in hair re-growth occurred (44% vs. 15% for placebo) (41). It has been used in anti-aging creams for several years (22). No controlled clinical studies evaluating these herbs for treatment of photoaging have been published.