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Study · Not a test of the peptide alone · 2020

2 results

Topical application of Zanthoxylum piperitum extract improves lateral canthal rhytides by inhibiting muscle contractions.

Hwang W, Kim D, Kwon OS, Kim YS, Ahn B, Kang NG

Scientific reports9 Dec 2020Cited by 7 (Europe PMC)

PMID33299102 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC7726138 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/s41598-020-78610-w (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-33299102
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Summary

Facial wrinkles are the predominant phenotypes of skin aging. To date, one of the most effective ways to improve wrinkles is botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) injection, which inhibits muscle contractions by reducing acetylcholine release from neurons. However, since BoNT/A is a hazardous neurotoxin, the injection can only be performed by medical doctors and the procedure is only possible through invasive injection, causing inconveniences such as pain. To overcome these inconveniences, we tried to find a way to reduce wrinkles non-invasively via mechanisms similar to BoNT/A. We first designed in vitro assays to test BoNT/A-like muscle contraction inhibition in two different model systems. By using the assays, we identified Zanthoxylum piperitum (Z. piperitum) fruit extract as a BoNT-like reagent (27.7% decrease of muscle contraction rates by 1000 ppm of Z. piperitum extract treatment). Next, we determined mechanisms of how Z. piperitum extract decreases muscle contraction rates and found that the extract treatment inhibits electrical signal transduction in neurons. We also showed that among known components of Z. piperitum extract, quercitrin is responsible for muscle contraction inhibition. We further identified that Z. piperitum extract has synergistic effects with acetyl hexapeptide-8 and BoNT/A light chain, which are well-known BoNT-like peptides. Finally, we showed that topical treatment of the Z. piperitum extract indeed decreases facial wrinkles and treatment of Z. piperitum extract with acetyl hexapeptide-8 has a tendency to improve wrinkles synergistically (14.5% improvement on average). The synergistic effect of the combination is expected to improve wrinkles effectively by implementing the BoNT/A mechanisms in a non-invasive way.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study2

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

Studies that did not test the peptide alone2

In this study, Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8).

  1. 01HumanNot a test of Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8) aloneNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome

    Topical Zanthoxylum piperitum extract with acetyl hexapeptide‑8 tended to improve facial wrinkles synergistically, with average improvement of 14.5%.

    In plain wordsThe extract with acetyl hexapeptide‑8 tended to improve facial wrinkles synergistically, with 14.5% average improvement.

    Peptide
    Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8)
    Outcome
    DecreaseFacial wrinkles
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Skin and hair · Skin and wound

    Measurements

    Wrinkle improvement
    14.5%
    extract with acetyl hexapeptide-8

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Finally, we showed that topical treatment of the Z. piperitum extract indeed decreases facial wrinkles and treatment of Z. piperitum extract with acetyl hexapeptide-8 has a tendency to improve wrinkles synergistically (14.5% improvement on average).

    In this study, Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8).

  2. 02LabNot a test of Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8) aloneIn vitro (cells)Activity measurement

    In vitro assays found synergistic effects of Zanthoxylum piperitum extract with acetyl hexapeptide‑8 on muscle contraction inhibition.

    In plain wordsIn lab tests, Zanthoxylum piperitum extract and acetyl hexapeptide‑8 had synergistic effects on muscle contraction inhibition.

    Peptide
    Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8)
    Outcome
    IncreaseSynergistic muscle contraction inhibition
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Muscle contraction assays
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Musculoskeletal

    Source sentences

    Summary
    We further identified that Z. piperitum extract has synergistic effects with acetyl hexapeptide-8 and BoNT/A light chain, which are well-known BoNT-like peptides.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    We first designed in vitro assays to test BoNT/A-like muscle contraction inhibition in two different model systems.

    In this study, Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8).

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    22 Oct 2026, 02:25 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    21 Oct 2026, 18:59 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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