Controlling Acne with Seaweed Extracts

Pukyong National University’s Kim Minseong Develops Acne Treatment Medical Device Extracted from Brown Algae Patch

Brown algae Phaeophyceae. An acne treatment device is being developed using extracts from this seaweed.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Research on the development of a medical device that treats acne using seaweed extracts is attracting attention.

Pukyong National University announced on the 6th that Minseong Kim (30, 2nd year PhD student) from the Department of 4th Industrial Convergence Bionics Engineering was selected as a recipient of the Korea Research Foundation's Science and Engineering Follow-up Generation Nurturing Project (PhD Student Research Incentive Grant) for this research topic.

With this project selection, Kim will develop a hydrogel applied with a micro-needle array, a medical device in the form of a patch densely arranged with very small and thin needles.

When this patch is applied to acne-affected skin, the seaweed extract contained in the patch penetrates the skin through the needles and kills the acne-causing bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes.

The seaweed extract uses the polyphenol substance DPHC derived from the brown algae Pae. Pae is distributed along the southern coasts of Korea, Jeju Island, and Japan, and is also used as food.

Kim Minseong, second-year PhD student in the Department of 4th Industrial Convergence Bionics Engineering at Pukyong National University.

Kim said, “Previous research revealed the antibacterial efficacy of DPHC and the skin regeneration effect of DPHC-containing hydrogel. In particular, cell and animal experiments confirmed that DPHC kills 99% of Propionibacterium acnes within 6 hours and rapidly repairs wounds.”

Kim will receive an annual research fund of 20 million KRW for two years to conduct the research project titled “Development of a Smart Hydrogel Incorporating a Micro-Needle Array Delivering Diphlorethohydroxycarmalol Derived from Marine Brown Algae for Treating Acne-Inducing Acne Skin Diseases.”

Kim said, “By combining hydrogel, which is excellent at maintaining a moist skin environment, with natural marine-derived substances, I expect to reduce the risk of side effects while rapidly treating acne.”

The Korea Research Foundation highly evaluated Kim’s creative research plan that integrates the marine industry and medical industry, as well as its development potential and expected effects. While conducting research on marine-convergent medical materials, Kim has also demonstrated research capabilities through three domestic patent applications, publications in SCI-level journals, and awards.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.