Abstract:

Trehalose and ceramide both play important roles in retaining skin water. With an X-ray scattering instrument, we studied the interaction between ceramide E and trehalose systematically in the course of drying and heatingcooling scan. It was found that ceramide E, similar to lipids in membrane, was difficult to crystallize in the presence of trehalose. Similarly, ceramide also suppresses the crystallization of trehalose during drying and therefore prevents water loose. Furthermore, after cooling from 105 ℃ to room temperature with the presence of trehalose, the freeze-dried ceramide formed a structure similar to that of stratum corneum in human skin in which both liquid and orthorhombic crystal exist. It is the first time to be found that trehalose, in stead of other components in skin, help ceramide to be organized by the form in the real human skin.

Key words: trehalose, ceramide, X-ray scattering, skin