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Healthy AdultsNCT03289832

Effect of Orally Delivered Phytochemicals on Aging and Inflammation in the Skin

A study testing Crucera-SGS and Meriva 500-SF in people with Healthy Adults, run by Johns Hopkins University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The objective is to determine, in a small number of participants, the protective effects of UV-induced skin erythema (reddening or "sunburn") following oral administration of sulforaphane, curcumin, or a combination of the two plant (diet)-based supplements. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Healthy Adults
What is being tested?
Crucera-SGS and Meriva 500-SF
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
25 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
25 Sep 2017to 23 Oct 2019
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 18-70 years old, healthy
  • Willingness to avoid sun exposure to study site
  • Willingness to adhere to cruciferous vegetable-free diet

Who cannot join

  • Use of photosensitizing medications
  • Use of medications that cause skin flushing
  • Use of anticoagulants/antiplatelet therapies
  • Allergies to anesthetic agents
  • Use of systemic retinoids or steroids (excluding female contraceptives and levothyroxin)
  • Topical retinoids or steroids at study sites
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Antibiotic use
  • Current students of the Principal Investigator
  • Procedures performed at the study sites
  • Smokers/tobacco users

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Johns Hopkins

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21224

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Effect of Orally Delivered Phytochemicals, Alone, and in Combination, on Aging and Inflammation-Related Effects in the Skin

The objective is to determine, in a small number of participants, the protective effects of UV-induced skin erythema (reddening or "sunburn") following oral administration of sulforaphane, curcumin, or a combination of the two plant (diet)-based supplements. The investigators will be using the over-the-counter nutritional supplements Crucera-SGS and Meriva-SF to deliver the biologically stable sulforaphane precursor and a highly bioavailable formulation of curcumin. Volunteers will be challenged with UV irradiation at 2-times the minimum erythematous dose (M.E.D.) on discrete 2 cm diameter circles on the upper buttocks. Skin redness will be monitored daily using a chromometer. Biomarkers will then be evaluated in blood, urine, and skin biopsies.

Read the detailed description

Oral sulforaphane (SF) delivery results in systemic protection of a wide variety of organ systems which The investigators hypothesize will also include the skin, based on animal studies and preliminary evidence in human volunteers. Since The investigators have only previously evaluated the ability of topical sulforaphane application to protect skin from UV-induced erythema, the next logical step is to evaluate the ability of oral delivery to affect the skin of healthy human volunteers. Curcumin is also a potent anti-inflammatory that acts upon different biochemical pathways from SF, and it is an antioxidant. It was discovered over a century ago, it has been the subject of well over a hundred clinical studies, and it has been an ingredient in common foods eaten by millions of people, for centuries. Before and after consumption of each of these common food ingredients, The investigators will: (a) measure the Phase 2 cytoprotective response in human skin, (b) determine whether it leads to reduced UV-induced erythema (reduced inflammation), (c) evaluate changes in age-related markers such as dermal elasticity, keratin and collagen levels, (d) measure advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the serum, as biomarkers of systemic (including the skin) reduction in AGE levels, and (e) measure the levels of these biomarkers in skin punch biopsies. The investigators will also evaluate the effects of combined oral SF and curcumin. The investigators anticipate that there may be a true synergistic response between SF and curcumin, and the experiments designed herein are designed to show that synergy, if it exists.

Conditions
Healthy Adults
Being tested
Crucera-SGS, Meriva 500-SF
Keywords
Sulforaphane, Curcumin, Crucera-SGS, Meriva-SF, Skin, erythema, UV, Sunburn, Inflammation, Redness, ultra-violet, sunlight
Medical subject headings
Erythema, Sunburn, Inflammation

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Crucera-SGSDietary supplement

    Crucera-SGS is a commercially available dietary supplement. The active ingredient is glucoraphanin, a phytochemical from broccoli and it is prepared as a simple extract of broccoli seeds. Glucoraphanin is converted to sulforaphane by bacteria in the human intestines. Crucera-SGS is formulated by Thorne Research Inc. into gel-caps that make it much more convenient to deliver than having subjects eat broccoli every day.

  • Meriva 500-SFDietary supplement

    Meriva-SF is a commercially available dietary supplement. The active ingredient is curcumin, a phytochemical from the spice, turmeric, and it is prepared as a simple extract of this plant, formulated with lipids which aid in its absorption and metabolism. Meriva-SF is formulated by Thorne Research Inc. into gel-caps that make it much more convenient to deliver than having subjects eat turmeric powder every day.

Study groups in NCT03289832
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Crucera-SGS®Active comparatorDrug: Subjects will follow a cruciferous vegetable-free diet and will first undergo a 10 day nonintervention phase. For the second phase they will be instructed to maintain a non-cruciferous diet and to ingest daily for 10 days, Crucera-SGS® as a source of glucoraphanin which is converted to sulforaphane; 9 capsules (450 mg or 1.03 mmol GR) per day. On the 7th day of each phase, they will be asked to fast overnight, come in to the clinic, provide urine and blood, and receive a dose 2-times their M.E.D. at up to 5 sites on the upper buttocks. Following the first and third days of chromometer readings, 2 biopsies will be taken from the upper buttocks for a total of 8 skin-punch biopsies per individual.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Crucera-SGS
Meriva 500-SF®Active comparatorDrug: Subjects will follow a cruciferous vegetable-free diet and will first undergo a 10 day nonintervention phase. For the second phase they will be instructed to maintain a non-cruciferous diet and to ingest daily for 10 days, Meriva 500-SF® as a source of curcumin; 2 capsules (1000 mg or 2.72 mmol total curcuminoids) per day. On the 7th day of each phase, they will be asked to fast overnight, come in to the clinic, provide urine and blood, and receive a dose 2-times their M.E.D. at up to 5 sites on the upper buttocks. Following the first and third day of chromometer readings, 2 biopsies will be taken from the upper buttocks, for a total of 8 skin-punch biopsies per individual.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Meriva 500-SF
Crucera-SGS® and Meriva 500-SF®Active comparatorDrug: Subjects will follow a cruciferous vegetable-free diet and will first undergo a 10 day nonintervention phase. For the second phase they will be instructed to maintain a cruciferous vegetable-free diet and to ingest daily for 10 days, Crucera-SGS® as a source of glucoraphanin which is converted to sulforaphane; 9 capsules (450 mg or 1.03 mmol GR) and Meriva 500-SF® as a source of curcumin; 2 capsules (1000 mg or 2.72 mmol total curcuminoids) per day. On the 7th day of each phase, they will be asked to fast overnight, come in to the clinic, provide urine and blood, and receive a dose 2-times their M.E.D. at up to 5 sites on the upper buttocks. Following the first and third day of chromometer readings, 2 biopsies will be taken from the upper buttocks for a total of 8 skin-punch biopsies per individual.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Crucera-SGS; Dietary Supplement: Meriva 500-SF

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Erythema 1 Day After UV Exposure

    Brief ultraviolet (UV) exposure on small circular spots on the skin will produce erythema (reddening), to be measured with a chromameter and photographed in the days following UV exposure, both before and after subjects have ingested study supplement (Crucera SGS, Meriva 500-SF, or both), daily, for a week. These measures will be compared to erythema in the skin of the same individuals following UV exposure, but WITHOUT having ingested these supplements.

    Measured: On day 8 of intervention

  2. Change in Erythema 2 Days After UV Exposure

    Brief ultraviolet (UV) exposure on small circular spots on the skin will produce erythema (reddening), to be measured with a chromameter and photographed in the days following UV exposure, both before and after subjects have ingested study supplement (Crucera SGS, Meriva 500-SF, or both), daily, for a week. These measures will be compared to erythema in the skin of the same individuals following UV exposure, but WITHOUT having ingested these supplements.

    Measured: On day 9 of intervention

  3. Change in Erythema 3 Days After UV Exposure

    Brief ultraviolet (UV) exposure on small circular spots on the skin will produce erythema (reddening), to be measured with a chromameter and photographed in the days following UV exposure, both before and after subjects have ingested study supplement (Crucera SGS, Meriva 500-SF, or both), daily, for a week. These measures will be compared to erythema in the skin of the same individuals following UV exposure, but WITHOUT having ingested these supplements.

    Measured: On day 10 of intervention

Secondary outcomes (8)
  1. Bioavailability of Supplement Metabolites in bodily fluids

    Metabolites of both sulforaphane and curcumin will be measured in blood and/or urine samples. Curcumin is rapidly conjugated to glucuronides and sulfates, which will be enzymatically degraded prior to measurement. Glucosinolates are metabolized to sulforaphane which is in turn metabolized to compounds collectively called dithiocarbamates. All of these can be readily measured using the cyclocondensation assay which reacts with all of the dithiocarbamates to produce a chromogenic compound with a very high molar extinction coefficient that is measured spectrophotometrically. Comparing levels before and after intervention will allow inferences to be made about bioavailability.

    Measured: Day 7 of each phase of intervention

  2. Change in metabolomic profile

    Blood samples taken before- and after- the intervention in each of the treated arms will be assessed for an extensive spectrum of small-molecule metabolites. Assessment will be by Mass Spectroscopy, in what is known as an untargeted metabolomic screen. Statistically-assisted exploration of this data-set is expected to yield insight into the metabolic pathways that are up- and down- regulated (boosted or supressed [inhibited]) as a result of treatment with these supplements.

    Measured: Day 7 of each phase of the intervention

  3. Change in tissue-based RNA biomarkers of inflammation

    Biomarkers of inflammation will be measured in skin-punch biopsies. Biopsy measures will reflect inflammation at the site of reddening (e.g. sunburn). A limited [by tissue availability] number of assessments will be made by real time PCR.

    Measured: Up to day 8 of intervention

  4. Change in tissue-based protein biomarkers of inflammation

    Biomarkers of inflammation will be measured in skin-punch biopsies. Biopsy measures will reflect inflammation at the site of reddening (e.g. sunburn). A limited [by tissue availability] number of assessments will be made by ELISA, protein blotting and immunohistochemistry.

    Measured: Up to day 10 of intervention

  5. Change in blood-based biomarkers of inflammation

    Biomarkers of inflammation will be measured in blood, and will reflect systemic (whole body) effects that are not likely to be large. An extended panel of inflammatory cytokines and cytoprotective enzymes may be evaluated. Assessments will be by real time PCR, ELISA, and protein blotting.

    Measured: Day 7 of each phase of the intervention

  6. Change in urine-based biomarkers of inflammation

    Biomarkers of inflammation will be measured in urine, and will reflect systemic (whole body) cumulative effects that are not likely to be large. An limited panel of inflammatory cytokines and cytoprotective enzymes may be evaluated. Assessments will be by real time PCR, ELISA, and protein blotting.

    Measured: Day 7 of each phase of the intervention

  7. Change in RNA markers of aging and protection from UV damage

    Skin-punch biopsies will be evaluated for markers of an up-regulated cytoprotective response including protection from photooxidation damage, and biomarkers of aging that may include advanced glycation end-products (AGE), skin elasticity, keratins, and collagens. Assessments will be by real time PCR.

    Measured: Up to day 8 of intervention

  8. Change in protein and small-molecule markers of aging and protection from UV damage

    Skin-punch biopsies will also be evaluated for markers of an up-regulated cytoprotective response including protection from photooxidation damage, and biomarkers of aging that may include advanced glycation end-products (AGE), skin elasticity, keratins, and collagens. Assessments will be by ELISA, protein blotting and immunohistochemistry.

    Measured: Up to day 10 of intervention

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Sep 2017
  2. Study start25 Sep 2017
  3. Primary completion23 Oct 2019
  4. Study completion23 Oct 2019

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
25 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03289832
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB00117754
Status last verified
Jul 2020
First submitted
10 Aug 2017
Last updated
21 Jul 2020
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Crucera-SGS and Meriva 500-SF in people with Healthy Adults, run by Johns Hopkins University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Jul 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Erythema 1 Day After UV Exposure (time frame: On day 8 of intervention). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Jul 2020.

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