Use of a highly standardized mixture of Vitis vinifera, Ginkgo biloba and Melilotus officinalis extracts in the treatment of cellulite: a biopharmaceutical approach

Abstract

Cellulite currently remains a controversial topic to be defined and fully explained. The genesis of cellulite has a highly complex pathophysiology, which includes expansion of the subcutaneous adipose tissue, fibrotic dermal septa formation, progressive skin laxity, atrophy and structural modification of some dermal components. These alterations could also be caused by insufficiency of the precapillary sphincters affected by the development of cellulite. The study here encompassed a retrospective clinical trial that analyzed the results of 90 days of treatment in 21 adult women aged between 24 and 53 who underwent a motor programme for the treatment of cellulite along with using two different food supplements. The first was based on extracts of Vitis vinifera, Ginkgo biloba and Melilotus officinalis, with two subgroups at a dosage of two and three tablets per day, respectively; the second was based on carnosine and beta-alanine, constituting a control group. The weight, height, waist, hip, proximal thigh, mid-thigh, distal thigh and calf circumferences were measured for all subjects. There were no appreciable variations with respect to weight, BMI, waist circumference or the waist-to-hip ratio. The consumption of the mixture of Vitis vinifera, Ginkgo biloba and Melilotus officinalis extracts was associated with a greater reduction in hip circumference and thigh circumferences with a dosage of two tablets/day compared to three tablets/day, and compared to the control. The sample size yielded interesting but still not completely unequivocal results. Further studies with a greater number of subjects will be required to clarify the extent of the results obtained, while investigating the posology to determine the most effective treatment within the timeframe considered.