Abstract
BackgroundNumerous reports have identified therapeutic roles for plants and their extracts and constituents. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacies of three plant extracts for their potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in primary human skin fibroblasts.MethodsAqueous extracts and formulations of white tea, witch hazel and rose were subjected to assays to measure anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, trolox equivalent and catalase activities. Skin fibroblast cells were employed to determine the effect of each extract/formulation on IL-8 release induced by the addition of hydrogen peroxide. Microscopic examination along with Neutral Red viability testing was employed to ascertain the effects of hydrogen peroxide directly on cell viability.ResultsConsiderable anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, and antioxidant activities were measured for all extracts apart from the witch hazel distillate which showed no activity in the collagenase assay or in the trolox equivalence assay. All of the extracts and products tested elicited a significant decrease in the amount of IL-8 produced by fibroblast cells compared to the control (p < 0.05). None of the test samples exhibited catalase activity or had a significant effect on the spontaneous secretion of IL-8 in the control cells which was further corroborated with the microscopy results and the Neutral Red viability test.ConclusionsThese data show that the extracts and products tested have a protective effect on fibroblast cells against hydrogen peroxide induced damage. This approach provides a potential method to evaluate the claims made for plant extracts and the products in which these extracts are found.
Highlights
Numerous reports have identified therapeutic roles for plants and their extracts and constituents
In contrast to the previous results, where dried extracts were employed, the formulation white tea toning eye gel (WTEG) was dissolved in water and of necessity results are shown as concentrations of 1% final volume
Enzyme inhibition and antioxidant capacity In comparison to the previous results for the plant extracts witch hazel (WH), White tea powder (WT) and rose tincture (RT), the WTEG retained activity in all three assays, inhibiting collagenase and elastase by over 10% when diluted to 1%, along with a TEAC score of > 5 μmoles (Table 1)
Summary
Numerous reports have identified therapeutic roles for plants and their extracts and constituents. As the largest organ in the body, the skin provides a barrier against UV radiation, chemicals, microbes and physical pollutants Challenges of this nature can contribute to skin ageing and inflammation which is characterised by oxidative damage [1,2,3]. Chilli pepper extract was shown to have the strongest anti-inflammatory activity along with allspice, apple, basil, bay leaves, black pepper and liquorice, to name but a few. These extracts all led to a reduction in IL-6 secretion. Dimethyl sulfoxide extracts of chilli pepper prevented TNF-a secretion and enhanced IL-10 production. Polyphenols in green tea can protect against 1 mM H2O2 induced damage in bladder cells, with epicatechin gallate (ECG) exhibiting strong protective effects across three bladder cell lines [6]
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