Abstract
Several biological activities have been reported for leaf extracts of Cecropia pachystachya species, including antioxidant and wound healing activities. This study aims to report, for the first time, the antiaging potential of the hydroethanolic (HE) and the ethanolic (EE) extracts obtained from the leaves of C. pachystachya using different in vitro assays. Both HE and EE presented relevant antioxidant capacity in different models, including phosphomolybdenum, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), carotene/linoleic acid bleaching, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assays. Their ability to prevent the production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) was also evaluated, and both extracts showed important activity, especially HE. The extracts also stimulated the fibroblasts proliferation in vitro, specialized cells that produce several mediators which maintain the skin integrity and youthfulness. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was not observed for this lineage or HEK-293, human embryonic kidney cells widely used to evaluate cytotoxicity of chemical compounds. HE also exhibited the ability to inhibit the collagenase (metalloproteinase MMP-2) and elastase activities. The total phenolic and flavonoids contents were also determined. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of the flavonoids orientin and iso-orientin, which were quantified to be used as chemical markers. The results suggested that the extracts of C. pachystachya leaves present the potential to be used in dermocosmetic formulations to prevent the skin aging process, which attracts the attention of pharmaceutical companies and researchers interested in the development of novel ingredients likely to be used as active principles in antiaging products.
Highlights
The normal functions and the natural appearance of the skin are severely affected by age and by many factors from the external environment which accelerate the skin aging, including ultraviolet radiation and pollution [1]
The harmful central mechanism that promotes skin aging is associated with the continuous solar ultraviolet radiation exposure which induces a complex and specific sequence of cellular responses, especially related to the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which lead to noxious stimulus to the connective skin tissue [3]
The results suggested that both ethanolic and hydroethanolic extracts are likely to be used in dermocosmetic formulations developed to prevent the skin aging process, as both extracts showed significant antioxidant and antiglycation activities
Summary
The normal functions and the natural appearance of the skin are severely affected by age and by many factors from the external environment which accelerate the skin aging, including ultraviolet radiation and pollution [1]. Oxidative stress is capable of altering the regulation of cellular mediators associated with the increase of metalloproteases expression, which are enzymes responsible for the degradation of extracellular matrix constituents, including collagen and elastin [4]. Dicarbonyl compounds produced by oxidative stress can bind to dermal matrix proteins, as collagen and elastin, which leads to the production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These chemical complexes may accumulate and accelerate the process of fibroblast apoptosis, aggravating the aging phenomenon [6, 7]
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