Beneficial effects of food supplements based on hydrolyzed collagen for skin care (Review).

Ageing is a complex, multi-step process which involves, among others loss of collagen and elastin. Collagen is found in large amounts in the body, especially in the dermis layer. These fibers provide the skin's normal strength, hydration and mechanical properties. Collagen is largely available, as it can be extracted from many animal sources, it can be easily absorbed upon topical administration, hence it is largely used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry for the treatment of premature aging. Bioactive peptides, such as collagen hydrolyzate, are among the most used ingredients for the development of nutraceuticals - food or food ingredients that have defined physiological effects. Numerous studies have demonstrated that peptides resulted from ingestion of hydrolysate collagen and detected in the blood stream have chemotactic properties for skin fibroblasts, helping the skin restoration process. The purpose of this minireview is to present an update on the use of hydrolyzed collagen for skin care.