Anti-oxidant and Anti-aging Activities of Fermented Vegetable-Fruit Drink

Fermented foods contain beneficial probiotics, which thus results in products with improved nutritional properties and healthy effects. There is however a need for research on clinical trials to measure the effects of fermented foods in clinical applications and in skincare. The composition of fermented vegetable-fruit drink (FVFD) included the fermented vegetable-fruit juice, apple juice, fructose, high methoxyl pectin, citric acid, apple flavor and water. In this study, the effects of FVFD on the free radical scavenging activities, promotion of skin cell proliferation and collagen synthesis were investigated. A randomized, controlled, double-blind study design was used to assess FVFD and basic drink (50 ml of a FVFD/placebo drink daily for 8 weeks for each subject). Thirty subjects (aged 35-55 years old) were recruited for an 8 week-long clinical trial to confirm the efficacy of FVFD in improving the serum biochemical superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase levels, and anti-skin age markers, including improving skin moisture, brightness and elasticity, reducing crow’s feet, skin texture, wrinkles, pores and spots, and increasing amount of skin collagen. The results suggest that fermented vegetable-fruit drink has anti-oxidant activities, promotes collagen synthesis and delays the aging of skin with potential applications in food additives.