Carboxyethyl aminobutyric acid (CEGABA) lacks cytotoxicity and genotoxicity and stimulates cell proliferation and migration in vitro

Cosmeceuticals are cosmetics formulated using compounds with medical-like benefits. Though the antiaging effect of carboxyethyl aminobutyric acid (CEGABA) has been discussed, its action mechanism in cosmeceuticals remains unclear. This study assessed the in vitro efficacy and safety of CEGABA. NHI-3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line was treated with two CEGABA concentrations (50 and 500 μmol/L) for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were evaluated by colorimetry (MTT) and the alkaline version of the comet assay, respectively. Flow cytometry and the scratch-wound assay were used to assess cell-cycle phase distributions and cell migration rates. Compared with the untreated control, CEGABA increased cell growth 1.6 times after 72 h, independent of dose. The compound also decreased cell replication time by 4 h. These findings seem to be related with the approximately 1.5-times increase in phase S cells numbers. Importantly, in vitro wound healing improved roughly 20% after treatment with CEGABA for 24 h and persisted after 48 h, indicating culture recovery. The time-dependent proliferation and migration of fibroblasts induced by CEGABA besides the fact that the compound is neither genotoxic nor cytotoxic makes it an ideal candidate in the development of cosmeceuticals in antiaging therapy.