Borage Oil (A Source of Polyunsaturated fatty acids) 

The skin epidermis displays a highly active metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Deficiency of Linoleic acid and gamma lenolenic acid precursors of arachidonic acid results in characteristic scaly skin disorder and excessive epidermal water loss. Arachidonic acid is metabolized into prostaglandins. It has been found that prostaglandins modulate normal skin physiological processes at low concentrations and inflammatory reactions at high concentration. Thus, appropriate supplementation with purified vegetable oils rich in arachidonic acid precursors may generate local cutaneous anti-inflammatory metabolites which could serve as a less toxic in vivo monotherpy or as adjuncts to standard therapeutic regimens for the management of skin inflammatory disorders (33).

Experimental studies showed that arachidonic acid precursor fatty acids are effectively incorporated into the cellular lipid of human keratinocytes (34). Fatty acids have been studied in the hyperkeratotic stratum corneum. The results showed a defect in the maturation of fatty acids. This presents evidence that the abnormality of lipid metabolism can influence the process of desquamation in stratum corneum (35).

Using Borage oil rich in GLA has shown to correct deficiencies in skin lipids in subgroup of patients with atopic dermatitis with clinical improvement of the symptoms (36). Topically applied fatty acid has been found to be able to penetrate to the living cells of normal epidermis, enter into metabolism and significantly modify endogenous epidermal lipids (37).

As it has been proven by studies that gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA), a precursor of arachidonic acid, possesses physiological functions of modulating immune and inflammatory response, various techniques are employed for the enrichment and purification of GLA in borage oil.
Highly purified GLA is desired both as a medicine and as an ingredient of cosmetics (38).

Borage oil is a rich source of Essential Fatty Acids that play a fundamental role in all cell membranes of the body, and they are vital for metabolism. The fluidity and flexibility of cell membranes depend on the amount of essential Fatty Acids they have. They are also the precursors of the important short-lived regulating molecules, the prostaglandins (39).

In a clinical study of infantile seborrheic dermatitis, daily topical application of borage oil containing 24% GLA has been studied. It has been suggested that GLA is of importance in maintaining normal transepidermal water loss (40).

The anti-inflammatory effect of GLA-fortified borage oil is due to the modulation of polymorphonuclear-neutrophils generation of proinflammatory leukotriene B-4 (41).

Borage oil rich in gamma linolenic acid has been tested in animals and found to induce epidermal generation of local anti-inflammatory metabolites that have leukotriene inhibition potentials. It has been concluded that it has ameliorative effects on chronic inflammatory skin disorders (42).

Borage oil, being a rich source of arachidonic acid -derived eicosanoid is considered potent modulators of hyperproliferation and inflammation of the skin (43).

Studies showed that Arachidonic acid and linoleic acid mediate their ability to modulate inflammation and epidermal proliferation by being incorporated into epidermal phospholipids (44).


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