Title : Role of micronutrients (selenium and magnesium) in skin health and function
Abstract:
Micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, are not only essential components of skin structure, but they also modulate multiple biological functions. Although the importance of these micronutrients has been widely characterized, therapeutics utilizing such nutrients have been limited to antioxidants and stimulating wound healing.
Selenium: Selenium is present in the cells of the skin as a component of various selenoproteins, including phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathionine peroxidase (PHGPx) and thioredoxin reductase (TDR). PHGPx and TDR are antioxidant enzymes that inactivate peroxides, thereby protecting skin cells from the harmful effects caused by these free radicals. TDR is associated with keratinocyte cell membranes. and its levels appear to correlate with susceptibility to UVB-induced damage . Selenium protects the skin from UV irradiation-induced oxidative stress by stimulating the activities of the selenium-dependent antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase, that are present in the plasma membrane of epidermal keratinocytes Selenium also has been considered for treatment of psoriasis, which shows decreased glutathione peroxidase levels. Results from human studies showed that selenium supplementation lead to an increase in levels of glutathione peroxidase in patients with psoriasis, resulting in disease improvement. Since selenium deficiency has been detected in patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, the level of selenium is one marker in this disease cancer. Tropical treatment with zinc and selenium can protect the skin from UV radiation (UVR). Oral and topical L-selenomethionine may protect the skin from UV damage by increasing the levels of selenium-dependent antioxidant proteins prior to UV exposure, thus bolstering the antioxidant defense of the skin.
Magnesium: Magnesium is an important micronutrient essential for various biological processes and its deficiency has been linked to several inflammatory disorders in humans. Clinical observations show the beneficial effect of topical and oral administration of magnesium salts in patients with skin allergy. Topical magnesium delivery is one of the oldest forms of therapy for skin diseases. It is a cofactor for ATP, DNA, and RNA and more than 600 enzymes. As it is similar to Ca2+, this element can also act as a cell signaling molecule and play multiple important roles in the nervous, muscle, and immune systems. Topical magnesium delivery is one of the oldest forms of therapy for skin diseases, for example Dead Sea therapy and Epsom salt baths. Some anecdotal evidence and a few published reports have attributed amelioration of inflammatory skin conditions to the topical application of magnesium. Magnesium penetrates through human stratum corneum and it depends on concentration and time of exposure. We also found that hair follicles make a significant contribution to magnesium penetration. Furthermore, as essential elements in the human body, Mg and Zn offer additional benefits, including promoting wound healing, facilitating cell growth, and participating in gene generation while interacting with various vital biological functions. We suggest that the favorable effects of bathing in the Dead Sea salt solution are most likely related to the high magnesium content. Magnesium salts are known to bind water, influence epidermal proliferation and differentiation, and enhance permeability barrier repair.
Key words: Micronutrients, Selenium, Magnesium, Skin health.
