Applications of Pyruvic Acid
Pyruvic Acid as anti-aging
The keto group of pyruvic acid is attached to the aliphatic carbon at position, making it a carboxylic acid. Its low pKa and tiny size make it an effective chemical peel agent because of how quickly and deeply it may permeate the skin. Some persons with acne have shown improvement after using a pyruvic acid peel.
An application of a 50% pyruvic acid skin peel once weekly for four weeks has been shown to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as the appearance of age spots caused by sun damage.
Dry, scaly patches on body (ichthyosis)
According to preliminary studies, patients with dry, flaky skin who use a Eucerin skin cream containing 5% pyruvate for at least 2 weeks have an increase in skin shedding.
Inflamed acne, mild acne scarring, oily skin, actinic keratosis, and warts have all been treated using pyruvic acid (CH3-CO-COOH), an alpha-keto-acid, as a medium chemical peeling agent.
A study showing anti-aging effects
One study's goal was to see how well 50% pyruvic acid worked and how well it was tolerated by people with moderately photo damaged face skin.
A total of 20 patients were subjected to a series of four peeling treatments spaced out by four weeks. Following a clinical evaluation, we examined each patient's erythema and hyperpigmentation reaction before and after therapy using a Minolta Tri-Stimulus Colorimeter II to get an objective assessment of the effect of pyruvic acid on pigmentary components of the skin.
The clinical examination of the patients after the peeling sessions showed a smoother texture, less obvious fine wrinkles, and evident lightening of hyperpigmentation (freckles and lentigines). As a matter of fact, chemical peels lead to the epidermis being thinner and the dermis becoming thicker. Patients who were treated said they experienced minimal to no pain after receiving a peel.
Pyruvic acid as antimicrobial and sebostatic
Since pyruvic acid has antimicrobial and sebostatic properties, it has been used to treat patients with inflammatory acne, moderate acne scars, actinic keratosis, and warts. Furthermore, pyruvic acid has demonstrated antioxidant capacity, significantly reducing the damage caused by UV radiation.
It has been shown that pyruvic acid is effective as an anti-aging agent, with a significant reduction in skin wrinkles after application. This is because pyruvic acid causes separation of the dermis and epidermis and increases the production of collagen, elastic fibres, and glycoproteins.
Its high lipophilicity and low molecular weight allow it to enter the different layers of the skin faster and deeper than other exfoliating agents like glycolic acid, and it does not produce flaking, burning, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation of the skin.
Pyruvate showing keratolytic property
The alpha-hydroxy acid pyruvic acid (PA) has powerful keratolytic effects. Fifty-six individuals were assessed between 2 and 29 months after treatment with one of two PA formulations for common warts (mean, 18 months). A 70% PA formulation with 0.5% 5-fluorouracil was administered on 38 individuals (PA-5FU). Eighteen people utilized a PA formulation that was just 70% PA and no 5FU. Patients used the formulation for an average of 4.4 weeks. Sixty-four percent of patients who were given one of the two formulations had a full disappearance of their lesions. The PA-5FU formulation did not show any signs of improved effectiveness. Eighteen kids (all under the age of 16) out of the whole sample saw their lesions disappear.
Pyruvic Acid as anti-obesity
In addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise, orally ingesting pyruvate may aid overweight and obese persons in their weight loss efforts. However, there is little solid evidence to support the use of pyruvate as a weight reduction aid despite its widespread availability. The results of a meta-analysis of six trials showed that pyruvate significantly impacted body weight compared to placebo. But the impact sizes were modest, and there were methodological flaws in every experiment. The analysis also found that pyruvate is linked to certain unwanted side effects, such as diarrhea, bloating, gas, and an elevation in LDL cholesterol. There was not enough data for the authors to recommend pyruvate for weight reduction.
Clinical studies showing weight loss
Clinical studies on pyruvate have shown that it can help people lose weight, typically by around 1.6 pounds over the course of 6 weeks, while some studies have shown inconsistent findings.
Pyruvate as anti-oxidant
Ethylpyruvate
Byproduct of glycolysis and substrate for the tricarboxylic acid cycle, pyruvate plays a pivotal role in metabolic pathways. When it comes to scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), pyruvate may hold its own as an endogenous antioxidant. In animal models of ischemia-reperfusion injury, pyruvate-containing solutions have been found to be protective against organ damage. Ethylpyruvate, the ethyl ester of pyruvate, is more stable in solution than pyruvate and has been shown to be even more effective than pyruvate in experimental models of preventing organ injury and suppressing the inflammatory response associated with multiple injuries such as hemorrhagic shock, ischemia-reperfusion, and sepsis. Since ethylpyruvate shows promise as a treatment alternative, more research is needed to determine whether or not it is helpful for horses with endotoxemia and sepsis.
Role of Pyruvate in exercise endurance
Athletes should disregard the possibility of improved performance. It has been shown by preliminary study that supplementing with dietary pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone for a week might improve exercise endurance. However, the vast majority of studies concludes that oral pyruvate supplementation, whether alone or in combination with creatine, does not enhance athletic performance when taken for up to 5 weeks.
Pyruvic acid with succinic acid showing anti-bacterial properties
The goals of this experiment were to determine if oregano essential oil combined with pyruvic or succinic acid had an antibacterial impact on Salmonella survivability, the composition of natural micro flora, and the quality of the resulting ground beef. Broiler breast flesh was immersed in solutions of varying concentrations of pyruvic (PA) and succinic acids (SA) with 0.5% essential oil (EO). The effectiveness of cooking down Salmonella Typhimurium in ground meat was tested by inoculating the breast meat with the bacteria. Ground, uninoculated beef was treated with antimicrobials, ground, and then kept in foam trays for retail display to determine the efficacy of these treatments on ground product. After being on display for 8 days, we measured the natural microbiological counts, instrumental colour, pH, and expressible moisture of the ground treated product. Salmonella on ground chicken was reduced by a maximum of 1.52 log CFU/g when 3 g/100 ml SS was combined with 0.5 ml/100 ml EO. Over the course of 8 days of storage, the bacterial population was reduced by approx. 1.2 log CFU/g aerobic plate count when the same treatment was applied (3 g/100 ml SS + 0.5 ml/100 ml EO) than any other treatment group (P 0.05). The data from this investigation shows that treating broiler meat with PA or SA plus EO effectively reduces Salmonella and improves the quality of raw ground meat.
Other possible Uses of pyruvic acid
Liver illness due to alcohol abuse
Preliminary studies show that persons with alcohol-related liver damage can benefit from receiving sodium pyruvate intravenously (IV) for 25 days.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Preliminary studies suggest that persons with COPD who use a nebulizer to inhale sodium pyruvate for a period of 6 weeks may see an improvement in their lung function.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Results from preliminary studies show that infusing pyruvate into the coronary arteries may help alleviate heart failure symptoms and restore cardiac function.
Bypass grafting of the coronary arteries (CABG)
Early study shows that improving recovery and maybe reducing cardiac problems following a CABG operation can be achieved by adding pyruvate to a solution used to help halt the heart during the procedure.