Abstract
Epilobium angustifolium L. is a popular and well-known medicinal plant. In this study, an attempt to evaluate the possibility of using this plant in preparations for the care and treatment of skin diseases was made. The antioxidant, antiaging and anti-inflammatory properties of ethanolic extracts from Epilobium angustifolium (FEE) were assessed. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of extracts chemically composition was performed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The total polyphenol content (TPC) of biologically active compounds, such as the total content of polyphenols (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), and assimilation pigments, as well as selected phenolic acids, was assessed. FEE was evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and antiaging properties, achieving 68% inhibition of lipoxygenase activity, 60% of collagenase and 49% of elastase. FEE also showed high antioxidant activity, reaching to 87% of free radical scavenging using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 59% using 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). Additionally, in vitro penetration studies were performed using two vehicles, i.e., a hydrogel and an emulsion containing FEE. These studies showed that the active ingredients contained in FEE penetrate through human skin and accumulate in it. The obtained results indicate that E. angustifolium may be an interesting plant material to be applied as a component of cosmetic and dermatological preparations with antiaging and anti-inflammatory properties.
Highlights
Nowadays, there is growing interest in the search for novel, effective, and safe dermatological preparations containing active ingredients with multiple effects
We found that some phenolic acids in the ethanolic extract of E. angustifolium penetrated human skin and accumulate in it [10]
Our research demonstrated the antioxidant activity of the FEE, which was confirmed by other authors [16,23,37,38,39,40,41,42]
Summary
There is growing interest in the search for novel, effective, and safe dermatological preparations containing active ingredients with multiple effects. Due to the abundance of secondary metabolites they contain, plant extracts can play multiple roles, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiaging [1]. Dermatological and cosmetic products containing mainly “natural” ingredients are perceived as safer compared to “synthetic” ingredients [1,2]. It is well-known that plants can produce natural antioxidant compounds that could control oxidative stress [3]. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act primarily by several important molecular pathways that play essential roles in diverse pathologic processes, including inflammatory responses
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