Agaric extract and colloidal silver promote skin health and wound repair

Abstract

Group D vitamins are a family of micronutrients essential for the health of numerous organs and systems. The family members come from different sources. In particular, UV irradiation forms ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) in some plants, predominantly in fungi. Differently, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) is synthesised in the skin of animals by UV irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol. Consequently, humans synthesise vitamin D3 and introduce the same vitamin to foods of animal origin and vitamin D2 to foods of plant origin. The pre-hormonal forms, cholecalciferol and ergo cholecalciferol are converted to active compounds via a 2-step enzymatic dihydroxylation in the liver and kidney to synthesise the active form of vitamin D, calcitriol. It has recently been demonstrated that the skin possesses the hydroxylases responsible for activating vitamin D directly in the keratinocytes. We have previously demonstrated the effectiveness of vitamin D3 combined with silver nanoparticles in wound healing in vitro. The aim of the present work was to establish whether vitamin D2 could have a similar effect to vitamin D3. Therefore, we used the same combination of vitamin D+ silver nanoparticles by substituting vitamin D3 for vitamin D2. We demonstrated that the effect of vitamin D2 on wound repair is very similar to that of vitamin D3. Indeed vitamin D2 induces an even stronger effect suggesting the possible future use of the combination of vitamin D2 + silver nanoparticles for the repair of skin damage, not only repair of wounds, but also atopic dermatitis, irritative pathologies such as diaper area dermatitis, actinic dermatitis, minor burns, folliculitis, and other skin wounds such as umbilical stump care. Possible applications were discussed.