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Collagen
constitutes 30% of the total mass of human proteins and is
responsible for:
skin firmness
skin moisturization
skin suppleness
constant renewal of skin cells
It
takes part in vital functions of nearly all systems, organs and tissues
. Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue. It has great
tensile strength and is the main component of ligaments, tendons,
cartilage, bone and teeth. Along with soft keratin, it is responsible
for skin strength and elasticity. With age the human body loses the
ability to rebuild collagen . Especially after constant damage i.e.
physical activity, competitive sports. Also with autoimmunity diseases
( joint degeneracy ). It is responsible for skin elasticity and its
degradation leads to wrinkles. Collagen deficiency also causes age
changes in the body such as colour changes, cellulite, skin dryness,
dull lifeless hair and nails. Lack of collagen that causes disorders
within the immune system are the most damaging for health. This is
because collagen has a very important defensive function . It limits
absorption and spreading of pathogenic substances, environmental toxins,
micro - organisms and cancerous cells. Collagen is a simple protein
built only from amino acids, belonging to fibrous proteins, precisely to
fibrin proteins. It is built from small protein parts in the shape of
spiral chains, which consist of 19 amino acids.
prolina
glicine
hydroxyproline
hydroxylisine
Amino
acids are built from carbon, oxygen and hydrogen elements which react
with nitrogen atoms. At least one hundred amino acids form a chain and
this is how proteins as well as collagen are created. In the case
of collagen its amino acid composition of chains that causes their
spiral shape (super helix )
.
foto.
Human collagen fibres.
Collagen fibres are built into organ elements which form complicated
structures of inner and outer membranes of the organs. Collagen is the
basic building material of fibrous connective tissue of living
organisms. 19 different amino acids take part in building collagen. Some
of these amino acids appear in different proteins but very seldom and in
small quantities. Such amino acids are used in collagen quantitative
chemical determination. Reasearch proves explicitly that the skin ageing
process occurs in connective tissue, whose main ingredient is collagen.
The physiological process of ageing is a progressing alternation of
soluble collagen from young tissue into an insoluble one as a result of
biological process of connective tissue ageing. Skin loses its
elasticity and ability to expand because of the decreasing ability to
retain water . Therefore , the decline in soluble collagen is a natural
phenomenon in the ageing process, but from a cosmetic point of
view it is highly undesirable . Thus there is a justified necessity of
supplementing protein deficiency through using cosmetics with soluble
collagen, which has the role of a natural moistening substance.
The protein from the group of albumins ( keratin and collagen being two
of them )is a main protein component of connective tissue, where
collagen fibres built of single collagen cells (
tropocollagen).
One
cell of collagen consists of three dextrorotary chains which coiling
around a common axis form a left-hand super spiral. Collagen cells are
synthesized inside a cell, they permeate into inter -cell spaces where
fibre forming takes place. Collagen is resistant to many enzymes . A
peculiar enzyme which decomposes collagen is the enzyme produced by
certain strains of bacteria. In hot water collagen swells, and after
heating it to boiling state it undergoes denaturalization and transforms
into gelatine, soluble in water protein which is susceptible to certain
enzymes.
Collagen is one of the support proteins, providing skin with appropriate
tightness, moisturization, springyness, elasticity and suppleness . From
the age of 25, humans start to lose these features
gradually, similar to muscles losing their strength, and bones
diminishing in calcium. All of the human ageing signs result from
a progressing deficiency in soluble collagen, whose bio-synthesis is
weaker and weaker with age. After the age of thirty , the atrophy of
sebaceous and sweat glands starts in the body of nearly every human
being and skin goes flabby and dry. Wrinkles appear as a consequence of
weakening collagen fibres which are the main component of the
under-layer of connective tissue. Toxins and some enzymes damage protein
fibres and the levels of micro - elements, fibroblasts and vitamins
stimulating collagen production decrease in the body.
The
turnover of collagen still lasts but the older the body is the more
degeneration predominates the synthesis. Especially the synthesis of
soluble collagen, which so far has guaranteed skin elasticity and
expanding by providing it with water, weakens. |
