Study Finds That White Koji Mold, Used in Japanese traditional foods, Can Rejuvenate Aging Skin

・Joint study with FANCL finds an extract from a White Koji Mold that can increase an enzyme, Arginase 1, found in skin
・Findings confirm relationship of increasing this enzyme with aging skin rejuvenation
・Development and application of the White Koji Mold extracts for anti-aging products to follow

TOKYO, Monday August 23, 2021 – In January 2020, Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (Kirin Holdings) announced that 14-dehydroergosterol (14-DHE), an ingredient in extracts of Kirin Holdings' White Koji mold*1, increases the amount of Arginase 1*2, an enzyme involved in rejuvenation of aging skin. Now, a joint study with Kirin Group partner FANCL Corporation (FANCL), confirmed in a continuous study that a serum containing 14-DHE (called "White Yeast Extract") can increase the amount of Arginase 1 in the skin, leading to improvements in aging skin, including improvements in skin texture and skin complexion.
* All footnotes are at the bottom of this news release, under “Term Descriptions.”

Kirin Holdings and FANCL believe that the White Koji Mold Extract containing 14-DHE obtained this time is effective in treating the skin concerns of middle-age adults, and plan to utilize this knowledge in product development and formulate it in FANCL's skincare products for middle-age adults in the future.

The results of this research were presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Aesthetic Dermatology held from July 31 to August 1, 2021.

Research Methodology and Results

Thirty-two women aged 50 years or older with normal skin used the serum formulating with White Koji Mold Extract (“White Koji Mold Extract”) and the serum without the extract ("no-extract") on the designated left and right halves of their faces as morning and evening skincare, and skin measurements were taken before and four weeks after use. As a result, the amount of Arginase 1 in the stratum corneum increased significantly in the White Koji Mold Extract side after 4 weeks of use compared to before use, while no significant increase was seen in the no-extract side (Fig. 1). The skin color b* value*3, which is an indicator of yellowness, and the size of the skin texture (crista cutis) were also significantly decreased in the White Koji Mold Extract side after 4 weeks of use (Fig. 2 and 3).

Research Background and Objectives

Kirin Holdings has confirmed that 14-DHE, a sterol*4 contained in its Aspergillus kawachii white koji mold, is highly effective in improving skin quality when taken orally. FANCL has discovered that Arginase 1 - which is abundant on the surface of the skin - is an important enzyme involved in the moisturizing function of the stratum corneum, the control of oxidation and glycation of the skin (Fig. 4). FANCL has also discovered that 14-DHE increases Arginase 1 in skin cells (Fig. 5) and has an anti-glycation function.

Based on these findings, Kirin Holdings and FANCL conducted a continuous use test of a serum formulating with a White Koji Mold Extract containing 14-DHE, and confirmed that it increased the amount of Arginase 1 and improved signs of skin aging such as skin yellowness caused by glycation.

Future plans

In this study, continuous use of a serum formulating with the White Koji Mold Extract containing 14-DHE increased the amount of Arginase 1 in the stratum corneum, and also improved the skin yellow dullness and texture, confirming that this ingredient improves the signs of skin aging. This ingredient increases the amount of Arginase 1 and is expected to have an effect on a wide range of skin problems, rather than conventional anti-aging care. Based on the results of this research, Kirin Holdings believes that the White Koji Mold Extract containing 14-DHE is effective in treating the skin concerns of middle-aged adults; and Kirin Holdings plans to use this knowledge in product development and formulate it in FANCL skincare products for middle-aged adults.

Term Descriptions

1 White Koji mold
Isolated as a mutant strain from the black koji mold strain, it is called “white” koji mold because of the white-yellow color of its spores. Like black koji mold, it is used to make shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit.

2 Arginase 1
A type of protein, an enzyme that has the ability to prevent blemishes by suppressing the production of reactive oxygen species, and regulating the balance so that melanin production does not occur. It is localized mostly on the surface of the skin. It increases during inflammation of the body and has the function of normalizing it. FANCL has conducted research on it for many years and has elucidated the following four functions: (1) inhibiting the increase of skin redness caused by ultraviolet rays radiation, (2) inhibiting melanin stimulating factors and collagen-degrading enzymes, (3) inhibiting the degradation of barrier function and expansion of inflammation caused by oxidation, and (4) inhibiting damage and aging caused by glycated substances.

3 Skin color b* value
In the perceptually isochromatic L*, a*, b* color system, L* indicates lightness, a* and b* indicate color direction. +b* indicates the yellow direction and -b* indicates the blue direction. The lower the b* value, the lighter the yellow color of the skin.

4 Sterols
A general term for chemical substances with sterol skeletons, called phytosterol for plant-derived substances and cholesterol for animal-derived substances. Sterols constitute cell membranes, are involved in information transmission within the body, and have important functions in physiological functions.

About Kirin Holdings

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.

Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.

Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV*, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.
* Creating Shared Value: combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large.