Beneficial effects of blood group antigen synthesis-increasing natural plant extracts and monosaccharides on extracellular matrix protein production in vivo

Abstract

Skin aging is clinically characterized by the wrinkle formation associated with damage of dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) [ [1] Chung J.H. Lee S.H. Youn C.S. Park B.J. Kim K.H. Park K.C. et al. Cutaneous photodamage in Koreans: influence of sex, sun exposure, smoking, and skin color. Arch. Dermatol. 2001; 137: 1043-1051 PubMed Google Scholar ]. Recent study has indicated that expression of ABO blood group antigens (ABH antigens) are reduced in the sun exposed skin, suggesting that ABH antigens may be implicated in photoaging process [ [2] Lee D.H. Jung J.Y. Oh J.H. Lee S. Kim Y.K. Chung J.H. Ultraviolet irradiation modulates ABO blood group antigens in human skin in vivo: possible implication in skin aging. J. Dermatol. Sci. 2012; 66: 71-73 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar ]. Hence, the present study was aimed to investigate the possible anti-aging potential of ABH antigen synthesis-increasing materials on ECM protein production in human skin, which are mixtures of natural plant extracts (Camellia sinensis (Green tea) leaf extract, Polygonum cuspidatum root extract; Biospectrum, Seongnam, Republic of Korea; Ginkgo biloba leaf extract, Cynara scolymus (Artichoke) leaf extract, Selaginella tamariscina extract; kindly gifted from Amorepacific R&D Institute, Yongin, Republic of Korea) and ABH antigen-composing monosaccharides (d-Glucose, d-Galactose, l-fucose, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, N-acetyl-d-galactosamine; Sigma–Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), increasing ABH antigen expression in HaCaT cells and human skin (Suppl. Figs. S1 and S2), by immunohistochemical determination of ECM proteins.