Who is more representative?

As the health industry gradually shifts from universal health programs to personalized health programs, ergothioneine stands out among antioxidants. It is highly selective for the human body. This makes it an important part of anyone's health routine.

Unfortunately, many people and brands know that grape seeds are whitening and anti-aging nutrients. However, they know very little about ergothioneine, so most of them choose grape seeds.

This article aims to share the powerful effects of ergothioneine through experimental data. Understand its benefits to the human body.

**The experimental data used in this article are all displayed by China's Zhongke Xinyang experimental data. Zhongke Xinyang stands as one of the world's premier laboratories. They have a global library of microbes from extreme environments. They also have a computational intelligence platform and a biochip platform.

Understanding Antioxidants

Ergothioneine

Unique Properties

Ergothioneine is a naturally occurring amino acid found primarily in fungi that has extraordinary antioxidant properties that are distinct from traditional antioxidants. One of its most notable features is its ability to selectively enter cells through the OCTN1 transporter.

The OCTN1 transporter is a protein that specifically targets cells under oxidative stress. This action ensures that ergothioneine reaches the areas where it needs to go most. It helps protect mitochondria, DNA, and other parts of the cell.

In addition, ergothioneine has exceptional stability, making it highly effective in harsh oxidative environments. Unlike some antioxidants that degrade or lose potency over time, ergothioneine remains active, providing long-lasting protection. Its ability to remove free radicals, bind harmful metals, and lower oxidative damage makes it important for cellular health.

Current Uses

Ergothioneine is becoming popular in supplements and skincare products. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help fight signs of aging. This includes wrinkles and fine lines. It can also help lighten the skin.

Researchers also study it for its role in treating chronic diseases. These include heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. Researchers closely link these conditions to oxidative stress.

*To learn more about ergothioneine, please visit this article: Ergothioneine Supplement: The underestimated king of anti-aging

 

Grape Seed Extract

Rich in Proanthocyanidins

Grape seed extract (GSE) is a powerful antioxidant derived from grape seeds. Its main active compounds are proanthocyanidins, a class of polyphenols with strong free radical scavenging abilities.

Researchers have shown that proanthocyanidins are highly bioavailable and provide broad-spectrum protection against oxidative stress. These compounds work together with other antioxidants in the body. This includes vitamins C and E, which helps improve their effectiveness.

Current Uses

Grape seed extract is a versatile and widely used natural ingredient. It helps heart health, boosts the immune system, and protects the skin. An important part of supplements, skin care products, and healthy foods exists.

Its anti-aging properties help reduce fine lines and protect against UV damage. Its anti-inflammatory effects are useful for treating conditions like arthritis and chronic venous insufficiency. Grape seed extract helps with oral health by protecting gums.

People also use it in hair care to promote growth and improve scalp health. New research shows it may help with anti-aging and longevity treatments. This wide range of benefits makes it one of the current popular choices in the health, wellness, and beauty industries.

Ergothioneine vs Grape Seed Extract

In the results below, we refer to the Cinda grape seed extract as Grape Seed 1. We call the Qingyunshan grape seed extract Grape Seed 2.

1. Cytotoxicity

Cell viability studies are a cornerstone for understanding how substances interact with and affect cell health. In a study, ergothioneine showed great cell viability at the tested levels. It kept over 90% viability in two key cell lines: HaCaT (human keratinocytes) and HFF-1 (human foreskin fibroblasts).

These cells are important for studying skin health and aging. They show how the skin's barrier works and how connective tissue functions.

In contrast, two grape seed extracts, called Grapeseed 1 and Grapeseed 2, showed a big drop in cell viability. This happened under similar conditions. At concentrations of 12.5 ppm and higher, both extracts had less than 80% cell viability. This was true for both HaCaT and HFF-1 cell lines.

This significant difference highlights the potential cytotoxic effects of grape seed extracts at high concentrations.

The results highlight the excellent biocompatibility of ergothioneine, especially in applications targeting skin and cell health. Its ability to keep high cell viability levels suggests it is unlikely to cause cytotoxic stress. This makes it a promising ingredient for anti-aging and rejuvenation therapies.

Grape seed extract has known antioxidant benefits. However, users should apply it in moderation for safety and effectiveness. This comparison reinforces the potential of ergothioneine as a safer, more reliable antioxidant in therapeutic and cosmetic formulations.

2. Antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ROS levels)

 

Researchers measure the antioxidant capacity of a compound by how well it can neutralize free radicals. One example of a free radical is DPPH, which stands for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl.

In this study, we looked at how ergothioneine and two grape seed extracts (Grapeseed 1 and Grapeseed 2) performed. We tested them under different conditions. This showed their differences in activity and stability.

In the absence of blue light, both grape seed 1 and grape seed 2 had higher DPPH scavenging rates than ergothioneine. This suggests that grape seed extracts can neutralize free radicals well. This may be due to their high anthocyanin content. Their effectiveness is stronger at the beginning.

However, after 4 hours of blue light irradiation, the situation changed dramatically. At concentrations of 63 ppm or less, ergothioneine had higher DPPH scavenging rates than Grapeseed 1 and Grapeseed 2. This improvement shows how stable and durable ergothioneine is when exposed to oxidative stress from blue light. Unlike grape seed extracts, whose antioxidant capacity weakened over time, ergothioneine maintained or even outperformed its counterparts in maintaining free radical neutralization.

These findings highlight a key advantage of ergothioneine: its resilience in prolonged or challenging oxidative environments. This makes it great for uses where there is exposure to environmental stressors. These include blue light from devices or sunlight. Both can speed up skin aging and harm cells.

Grape seed extract offers strong initial antioxidant protection. However, ergothioneine is more stable over time. This makes ergothioneine a better choice for protecting skin and cells from ongoing oxidative damage.

 

To evaluate the effectiveness of ergothioneine and grape seed extracts against oxidative stress, the researchers constructed a cellular aging model using keratinocytes exposed to 4 hours of blue light.

Blue light can penetrate the skin and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Researchers use this to simulate environmental stress and aging. The study looked at ROS levels in cells. Researchers treated these cells with 3.13 ppm of grape seed 1, grape seed 2, and ergothioneine.

The results showed that all three compounds greatly lowered ROS levels compared to the negative control (NC). This highlights their antioxidant properties. However, the extent of ROS reduction varied greatly among the three drugs:

- Ergothioneine: exhibited the most significant performance, with an impressive 8.7-fold reduction in ROS levels compared to NC. This highlights the ability of ergothioneine to effectively combat oxidative stress even in a strong oxidative environment.

Its strong ability to reduce ROS comes from its special way of entering cells. This happens through the OCTN1 transporter. This mechanism allows for targeted action and long-lasting antioxidant protection inside the cells.

- Grapeseed 1: showed a modest but still significant reduction in ROS levels, a 3.0-fold reduction compared to NC. Its performance shows the antioxidant activity of its rich proanthocyanidins. These compounds can neutralize free radicals. They also help protect cells from oxidative damage.

- Grapeseed 2: showed the least reduction in ROS levels among the three, a 2.5-fold reduction compared to NC. While its effectiveness was not as high as ergothioneine and grapeseed 1, it still offered good ROS protection. This shows the overall antioxidant power of grapeseed extract.

These findings suggest a clear hierarchy of antioxidant efficacy, with ergothioneine being the most potent antioxidant in this experiment. Its strong ability to lower ROS levels shows how effective it is. This also suggests it could be a great ingredient to fight oxidative stress and slow down cellular aging.

Grape seed extract has good antioxidant effects. However, ergothioneine works even better to reduce ROS. This makes ergothioneine a great choice for anti-aging and managing oxidative stress.

3. Cell protection (anti-blue light)

 

To study how different antioxidants protect against blue light damage, researchers used HaCaT cells. These cells are a common model for human skin cells.

Blue light is a strong part of visible light. It can go through the skin and cause damage. This damage leads to oxidative stress and harms skin cells. As a result, it can cause early aging and other problems in cells.

In this study, researchers exposed HaCaT cells to blue light and measured their survival under different treatment conditions. The results clearly compared the protective effects of ergothioneine (EGT) with grape seed extracts (Grapeseed 1 and Grapeseed 2):

- Negative Control (NC): Without any protective agent, blue light exposure significantly reduced cell survival. Researchers compared this to the baseline control (BC). This shows how harmful blue light can be to cell health.

- Ergothioneine (EGT): When cells received 6.25 mg/L of ergothioneine, it had a strong protective effect. The average cell survival rate reached 90.6%, which was comparable to the BC group (p > 0.05). This suggests that ergothioneine effectively protects cells from blue light-induced damage, preserving their viability and functionality.

- Grapeseed 1 and Grapeseed 2 showed cell viability of 55.2% and 58.0%. These results were much lower than the EGT group. Both grape seed extracts offered some protection against blue light damage. However, they were much less effective than ergothioneine.

*This difference may stem from differences in cellular uptake, stability, and antioxidant potency between the two compounds.

The findings clearly showed that ergothioneine possessed superior blue light protection capabilities than grape seed extract. By maintaining high cell viability under blue light irradiation, ergothioneine demonstrates its potential as a powerful ingredient to mitigate photoaging and enhance skin elasticity. In contrast, grape seed extract offered some benefits, but it was not particularly effective. This makes ergothioneine a better choice for skin care products that fight blue light damage.

4. ATP

 

Cellular energy production is a key indicator of metabolic health and vitality, which can be assessed by measuring ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels. HFF-1 cells, a model of human fibroblasts, were used for ATP detection experiments.

In this experiment, we used all three antioxidants at a concentration of 12.5 ppm. We measured ATP levels one hour after treatment. The results showed that all groups had higher ATP levels.

- This increase was significant when compared to the baseline control group (BC group). This means they were able to boost cellular energy production (p < 0.05).

- Ergothioneine (EGT): Among the compounds tested, ergothioneine showed the most significant effect, increasing ATP levels by 20.8%. This reflects the unique ability of ergothioneine to stabilize the cellular environment and alleviate oxidative stress, which otherwise impairs mitochondrial function and ATP synthesis.

- Grapeseed 1 and 2 both increased ATP levels. They were similar to the improvements seen with ergothioneine.

All three compounds boosted ATP levels, but ergothioneine stood out. Its role in cellular health is crucial.

This experiment demonstrates how ergothioneine and grape seed extract can help with cellular energy metabolism. This is important for combating cellular aging and improving overall vitality.

Choosing Between Ergothioneine and Grape Seed Extract

When choosing between ergothioneine and grape seed extract, think about your body and health goals. This will help you pick the antioxidant that gives you the best benefits.

Ergothioneine stands out for its precision and versatility. Thanks to its special OCTN1 transporter, it can target high-stress areas like the liver, brain, skin, and eyes. This action is a great choice for people who want cellular protection. Also good for those worried about long-term oxidative stress and aging.

Its high stability ensures that it has long-lasting antioxidant activity. This is true even under harsh conditions like blue light exposure. This quality makes it great for protecting the skin and fighting environmental damage.

Ergothioneine has proven benefits. It reduces harmful cellular ROS and improves cell survival. This makes it a top choice for modern anti-aging solutions(such as AIDEVI Ergothioneine).

Grape seed extract, on the other hand, is a solid choice for antioxidant support on the market today. It is high in proanthocyanidins. Researchers believe that these compounds help heart health, improve skin elasticity, and protect against free radicals.

Grape seed extract is great for keeping blood vessels healthy. Especially good for heart health and skin hydration. Its wide availability and low cost make it a good choice for many people. However, it may not be as precise or long-lasting as ergothioneine.

Ultimately, the choice comes down to your priorities. If you’re looking for a scientifically advanced, individually targeted antioxidant, ergothioneine may be a more appropriate choice. For a good antioxidant that supports heart health and skin care, grape seed extract is a great choice.

Always talk to a healthcare professional before taking any product. They can help you find the best option for your needs.