Pyrroloquinoline quinone, often abbreviated as PQQ, is a small quinone molecule found in plants and animals in minuscule amounts, most notably in mammalian breast milk. PQQ can be a REDOX agent, which means it can reduce harmful oxidants in the body. After this action, PQQ can be "recharged" by a reaction with glutathione back into an active form thousands of times. Researchers have found that PQQ can increase the number of mitochondria and improve their efficiency. Mitochondria provide our cells with energy (ATP) and regulate cellular metabolism. On the cellular level, mitochondria help to regulate our cellular "time clock" and contribute to the appearance of aging in the skin.
PQQ has an affinity to protein structures inside the cell. PQQ's antioxidant activity occurs near proteins in contrast to carotenoids which work near the cell membrane. Some antioxidants, most notably carotenoids like β-carotene and astaxanthin, are found in specific areas of a cell where they exert proportionally more antioxidant effects.
PQQ in Skin Care:
Perhaps PQQ's most unique and unexpected benefit is its use for cosmetic and skincare applications. PQQ can be effective as anti-aging prevention for your brain, heart, and liver and as a cosmetic anti-aging treatment for your skin. It rejuvenates your skin cells and rebuilds healthy tissue for thicker skin while reducing wrinkles and skin pigmentation.
PQQ is an anti-melanogenic agent because it protects against the long wavelength UVA that causes the expression of the proteins, which results in hyper-pigmentation disorders. Loss of natural levels of PQQ causes a reduction in connective tissue growth and repair leading to flaky skin, loss of elasticity, and connective tissue health. PQQ contributes to epidermal water dissipation, skin moisture, texture, viscoelasticity, and improving skin barrier and function. PQQ works on mitochondria involved in cell signaling, cycling, differentiation, and growth to increase cellular turnover through exfoliation. The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine has published a book where PQQ has been enlisted as an ingredient for anti-aging because it preserves mitochondria, slows down the hardening of arteries, and replaces hormones with bioidentical ones.
The following compounds have been found to enhance or be enhanced by PQQ: CoQ10, Glutathione, & NAD.
