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Mucopolysaccharide is found in connective tissue, skin, bone and cartilage together with proteins from the intercellular cells where collagen and elastin are embedded.
Mucopolysaccharides are substances which form highly viscous solutions having more or less gelatinous or slippery and partially sticky properties. They apparently act as intercellular lubricants.
Mucopolysaccharides also play an important part of normal cell function in intercellular substance transportation in fibrillogenesis and the stabilization of cellular and fibrillar constituents of the connection tissue.
Indications are available showing that mucopolysaccharides influence the quality of the kind of collagen fibril aggregation and that they determine the diameter of the collagen fiber bundle.
Wound healing process involves mucopolysaccharides. During skin and wound healing, their content in the wound area is considerably higher in order to reach again the standard value after healing.
Mucopolysaccharides are said to have a positive influence on skin modification in cellulites and responsible for the elasticity, resilience and the strength of the skin. The dermal mucopolysaccharide content decreases with advancing age; therefore, by replenishment, it would be reasonable to think that the skin would remain stronger and softer longer.
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