Allantoin is a skin conditioning agent that promotes healthy skin, stimulates new and healthy tissue growth.
Allantoin is a well-known cosmetic ingredient reported to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities[1]. Allantoin attenuates apoptosis and cytotoxicity and increased the viability of STZ-induced β-cells in a dose-dependent manner. Allantoin decreases the level of caspase-3 and increases the level of phosphorylated B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression. Allantoin has been demonstrated to activate imidazoline 3 (I3) receptors[2].
The subchronic administration of allantoin (1, 3 or 10 mg/kg, for 7 days) significantly increases the latency time measured during the passive avoidance task in scopolamine-induced cholinergic blockade and normal naive mice. Allantoin treatment (3 or 10 mg/kg, for 7 days) also increases the expression levels of phosphorylated phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt) and phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). Allantoin significantly increases the neuronal cell proliferation of immature neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus region[1]. Daily injection of allantoin for 8 days in STZ-treated rats significantly lowers plasma glucose and increases plasma insulin levels [2]. Allantoin decreases blood pressures in SHRs at 30 minutes, as the most effective time. Also, this antihypertensive action is shown in a dose-dependent manner from SHRs treated with allantoin. Moreover, in anesthetized rats, allantoin inhibits cardiac contractility and heart rate. Also, the peripheral blood flow is markedly increased by allantoin[3].
References:
[1]. Ahn YJ, et al. Effects of allantoin on cognitive function and hippocampal neurogenesis. Food Chem Toxicol. 2014 Feb;64:210-6.
[2]. Amitani M, et al. Allantoin ameliorates chemically-induced pancreatic β-cell damage through activation of the imidazoline I3 receptors. PeerJ. 2015 Aug 6;3:e1105.
[3]. Chen MF, et al. Antihypertensive action of allantoin in animals. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:690135.