By Dr. WEI HAO CHEN
Elastin is the second most abundant structural protein in the human body after collagen — and the primary protein responsible for skin elasticity, vascular flexibility, and joint resilience. Distributed widely throughout tissues that require repeated stretching and recoiling and extensibility, it quietly plays a foundational role in maintaining the body's structural integrity.
Elastin raw materials commercially available today include sources from land animals such as pig and bovine, as well as marine-derived sources from fish. Among marine options, the bulbus arteriosus of bonito (Katsuwonus pelamis) is one of the most well-researched marine elastin sources. Fish-derived elastin also carries significantly lower risk of zoonotic disease transmission compared to porcine or bovine sources — a key advantage for clean-label supplement formulations.
The bulbus arteriosus is a cardiac structure in bony fish that acts as a blood-flow buffer. It is rich in elastin. Because bonito engage in high-speed, long-distance migration, their cardiovascular systems are subjected to enormous sustained pressure — making the bulbus arteriosus particularly well-developed and highly concentrated in elastin content.
Through a standardized process involving alkaline soaking, heating, enzymatic hydrolysis, filtration, and concentration-drying, high-purity water-soluble elastin peptides can be extracted. Approximately 20 kg of bonito are required to yield just 1 gram of elastin — a measure of its rarity and value.
How Is Elastin Different from Collagen?
| Elastin | Collagen | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | provides elasticity and recoil | provides structural support and strength |
| Texture analogy | rubber band stretches and returns |
rope strong but rigid |
| Role in skin | helps skin snap back | maintains skin thickness and fullness |
| Signature amino acids | Desmosine Isodesmosine |
Hydroxyproline |
At What Age Does Elastin Begin to Decline?
Virtually all of the body's elastin is synthesized during the fetal to adolescent period. After age 25, almost no new elastin is produced [5]. After age 30, fibroblast synthesis capacity declines significantly, while matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity rises relatively, with the degradation rate gradually exceeding the synthesis rate.
A 3D structural analysis study of eyelid and abdominal skin found that aging skin elastin fibers exhibit three key characteristics: shortening, thickening, and curling — with these changes most pronounced in the eyelid region [4].
Elastin Fragments May Themselves Accelerate Aging
A 2025 study published in Nature Aging presented an important new finding: fragments produced by elastin degradation may themselves be a driver of systemic aging. Researchers found that serum elastin fragment concentrations correlate positively with age. In analysis of 1,068 human subjects, those with higher elastin fragment concentrations showed increased levels of inflammatory markers, suggesting that accumulated elastin breakdown products may activate the innate immune system and promote chronic low-grade inflammation.
Do Oral Elastin Peptides Work? Absorption Mechanism & Clinical Evidence
After oral ingestion of elastin peptides, one primary absorption form — Pro-Gly — reaches peak blood concentration approximately 30 minutes post-ingestion and persists for approximately 4 hours [6]. These peptides can bind to the "elastin receptor complex" on fibroblasts, initiating intracellular signaling with bidirectional effects: on one hand promoting TGF-β-mediated elastin and collagen synthesis; on the other hand, the activation of downstream signaling cascades may trigger feedback inhibition of MMP expression, reducing the rate of existing fiber degradation.
Human Clinical Trial Evidence: Skin Elasticity & Vascular Function
- Skin Clinical Trial (Shiratsuchi et al., 2016)
Led by researchers from the bonito elastin raw material developer, this placebo-controlled trial enrolled healthy female subjects who took 75 mg of fish elastin hydrolysate daily. Notably, the trial spanned the winter season — a period when reduced peripheral blood flow typically diminishes skin suppleness — making the positive findings particularly meaningful.[9]
- Vascular Clinical Trial (Journal of Functional Foods and Pharmacological Nutrition, 2017)
This double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated healthy Japanese men and women aged 40 to 64. After taking 75 mg of bonito elastin peptide daily for 16 weeks, both groups showed significant improvements. Published in a Japanese peer-reviewed journal, this research serves as the scientific backing for the 'maintains healthy blood vessels' claim found on Japanese functional foods.[10]
References
[1] Zhang Z, Zhu H, Zheng Y, et al. The effects and mechanism of collagen peptide and elastin peptide on skin aging induced by D-galactose combined with ultraviolet radiation. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2020;210:111964.
[2] Yi J, Wang Y, Sui H, et al. Elastin-derived extracellular matrix fragments drive aging through innate immune activation. Nature Aging. 2025;5:2380–2398.
[3] Jiang F, Tohgasaki T, Kami M, et al. Influence of aging on dermal elastin fiber architecture and skin firmness assessed by finite element modeling. Sci Rep. 2025;15:28598.
[4] Tohgasaki T, Kondo S, Nishizawa S, et al. Evaluation of elastin fibres in young and aged eyelids and abdominal skin using computational 3D structural analysis. Skin Health Dis. 2021;1(4):e58.
[5] Sephel GC, Davidson JM. Elastin production in human skin fibroblast cultures and its decline with age. J Invest Dermatol. 1986;86(3):279–285.
[6] Shigemura Y, Nakaba M, Shiratsuchi E, et al. Identification of food-derived elastin peptide, prolyl-glycine (Pro-Gly), in human blood after ingestion of elastin hydrolysate. J Agric Food Chem. 2012;60(20):5128–5133.
[7] Baumann L, et al. Clinical relevance of elastin in the structure and function of skin. Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum. 2021;3:ojab019.
[8] Blanchevoye C, et al. Interaction between the elastin peptide VGVAPG and human elastin binding protein. J Biol Chem. 2013;288:1317–1328.
[9] Shiratsuchi E, Nakaba M, Yamada M. Elastin hydrolysate derived from fish enhances proliferation of human skin fibroblasts and elastin synthesis in human skin fibroblasts and improves the skin conditions. J Sci Food Agric. 2016;96(5):1672–1677.
[10] 白土絵里, 中場美佐子, 山田道代, 他. カツオ由来エラスチンペプチド経口摂取による血管弾性及び血管内皮機能への作用. 機能性食品と薬理栄養. 2017;11:97–108.