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Summary of our research
A collaborative research group led by Specially Appointed Associate Professor Liqing Zang of the Graduate School of Regional Innovation Studies, Mie University, together with Tsuji Oil Mills Co., Ltd., has shown that orally administered maize-derived glucosylceramide may reduce ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced skin pigmentation and epidermal dysregulation in a mouse model.
In HRM-2 hairless mice capable of producing melanin, oral ceramide attenuated UVB-induced melanin deposition, epidermal thickening, and stratum corneum thickening. The high-dose group also showed improved skin moisture under UVB-exposed conditions. Immunostaining, RT-qPCR, and RNA-seq analyses suggested that oral ceramide suppresses MITF-related melanogenic signaling and modulates pathways associated with keratinization, retinoic acid receptor (RAR) signaling, and wound-healing responses. These findings suggest a new potential role for oral ceramide in supporting epidermal homeostasis under UV stress.
This research was published on June 15, 2026, in the international journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
For details, please see the full press release.
This research was published on June 15, 2026, in the international journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
Researcher information
Liqing Zang
Graduate School of Regional Innovation Studies, Specially Appointed Associate Professor
Specialized area：
Pharmacology, disease models, and functional food science
Current research field：
・Development and application of zebrafish and mouse models of human diseases
・Functional evaluation and mechanistic analysis of natural products and food-derived components
・Discovery of therapeutic candidates for diabetes and related diseases
KAGOTANI Kazuhiro
Tsuji Oil Mills Co., Ltd., Tsuji Health & Beauty Science Laboratory
Specialized area：
Food chemistry and functional food science
Current research field：
・Functional evaluation and mechanistic analysis of natural products and food-derived components
・Development of functional food products and materials