Atomistic insights into salicylic acid treatment on human keratinized skin by XPS combined with argon gas cluster sputtering: A pilot study

Rácz, Adél Sarolta (2024) Atomistic insights into salicylic acid treatment on human keratinized skin by XPS combined with argon gas cluster sputtering: A pilot study. SURFACES AND INTERFACES, 55. ISSN 2468-0230

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Abstract

Stratum corneum is the skin's outermost layer, whose main constituent is keratin. The treatment of dermatological diseases showing hyperkeratosis is a serious problem in dermatology and cosmetics seriously affecting the population showing increasing prevalence. One of the treatment is a peeling agent like salicylic acid (SA), categorized as a keratolytic agent, however its mode of action is not fully understood. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a method for monitoring the changes of surface composition at atomistic level in 5–10 nm depth. The development of argon cluster sputtering enabled the investigation of deeper regions (nanometric level) even for biomaterials. In this pilot study, the mode of action of SA has been studied at atomistic level for the first time. Different concentrations of SA (3, 5, 10 wt%) in different time frames (1 day, 1 week, 1 month) was applied on human keratinized skin. The carbon, nitrogen and oxygen peak have not shown changes during the treatment, not showing the suggested desmolytic mechanism of SA. However, significant changes were observed in the sulfur peak, with increasing time and concentration the rate of sulfonate and sulfate was increased compared to thiol group indicating the break of sulfide bonds between the polypeptide chains in keratin, indicating that keratolysis happens at nanometric level. Already a 1 week-10 wt% SA treatment resulted in higher rate of sulfate compared to sulfonate indicating further oxidation of the keratolytic product. However, 1 month-10 wt% treatment resulted in the same surface composition as 3 wt%-1-month treatment indicating that enough time with low concentration can exert the same effect as higher concentrations. These findings have relevance in the design of future SA-based dermatologic therapies.

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