If you have acne, here’s another reason to have some wine. According to a recent study published in the journal Dermatology and Therapy, resveratrol, a key antioxidant present in red wine, inhibits the growth of acne-causing bacteria. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have suggested that by combining resveratrol with the acne medication benzoyl peroxide, its ability to kill the bacteria is improved, which could translate into new effective treatment to deal with acne.
The lab findings have demonstrated that both the compounds attack the bacteria, propionibacterium acnes, in distinct ways. While resveratrol stops the formation of free radicals that cause tissue damage, benzoyl peroxide kills the acne bacteria with the help of free radicals. Dr Emma Taylor, the study’s first author and assistant clinical professor of medicine in dermatology said, ‘We firstly thought that opposite action of the two compounds would cancel out their antibacterial effects, but they didn’t. This study showed that a combination of an antioxidant and an oxidant may enhance the antibacterial activity and sustain it for a long time.’
The research team grew colonies of the acne bacteria and added different concentrations of benzoyl peroxide and resveratrol in combination and individually. They monitored the bacterial growth for 10 days and found that even though benzoyl peroxide killed the bacteria at all concentrations, the effect lasted for only 24 hours. Whereas, resveratrol was found to inhibit bacterial growth for a longer time, it failed to show potent bactericidal activity. Surprisingly, the combined effects of the two compounds showed potent antibacterial activity. Dr Jenny Kim, professor of clinical medicine in the division of dermatology at the Geffen School said, ‘It was like combining the best of both world to build a powerful attack on the acne bacteria.’
The researchers observed the antibacterial effect of resveratrol under a high-powered microscope and found that some bacterial cells lost their outer structure indicating that it can alter as well as weaken the bacterial structure. The human skin cells and blood cells were also cultured with the two compounds to determine their toxicity. The test results showed that benzoyl peroxide was more toxic than resveratrol, which is why topical application of medicine containing benzoyl peroxide causes redness and skin irritation. The study findings might lead to a development of an effective and safe topical therapy to get rid of acne.
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