Effect of sunlight exposure and aging on skin surface lipids and urate

Free fatty acids (FFA), squalene, squalene hydroperoxide, and uric acid in the methanol extracts from human skin surface were measured. Levels of FFA and squalene were significantly lower in the older (83.7 +/- 9.4 years) than in the younger (22.2 +/- 3.9 years) group. FFA are mostly saturated, and linoleic acid is an exclusive polyunsaturated fatty acid. The composition of linoleic acid decreased in the older group by 40%, suggesting age-dependent loss of oxidatively vulnerable polyunsaturated fatty acid. Even monounsaturated acids such as palmitoleic and oleic acids decreased significantly in the older group. This could be interesting because 2-nonenal is the oxidation product of palmitoleic acid and has been identified as the major aged body odor component. Sunlight exposure for 1.5 h did not change levels of FFA and squalene, or FFA composition. However, squalene hydroperoxide increased by 60-fold, as reported previously, suggesting that hydroperoxide is produced by singlet oxygen. Uric acid increased by two-fold, which may be the adaptive response against photo-oxidative stress because uric acid is a good scavenger of singlet oxygen and oxygen radicals.