Abstract
Background and objectives: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) overwhelm the antioxidant defense system, induce oxidative stress, and increase matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression, resulting in skin aging. Thus, preventing ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced skin damage can attenuate skin aging. Spirulina (a biomass of cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae) is comprised of prokaryotes, whereas microalgae are eukaryotes and are rich in phycocyanin, a powerful antioxidant. Materials and Methods: Here, we investigated the photoprotective effects of spirulina-derived C-phycocyanin (C-PC) against UVB radiation using keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). Results: UVB radiation increased MMP-1 and MMP-9 expression but decreased involucrin, filaggrin, and loricrin expression. C-PC showed no toxicity at concentrations of 5–80 μg/mL in terms of HaCaT cell viability. UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells had a 50.8% survival rate, which increased to 80.3% with C-PC treatment. MMP expression increased with UVB treatment, whereas MMP-1 and MMP-9 concentrations decreased with C-PC treatment. UVB reduced involucrin, filaggrin, and loricrin expression in HaCaT cells, but 80 μg/mL C-PC increased their expression by >25%. In the UVB radiation group, dichlorofluorescin diacetate fluorescence intensity in HaCaT cells increased by 81.6% compared with that in the control group, whereas ROS production was reduced by 51.2% and 55.1% upon treatment with 40 and 80 μg/mL C-PC, respectively. Conclusions: C-PC might reduce or prevent skin aging by reducing UVB irradiation-induced skin wrinkles and free radicals.
Highlights
The skin is the largest organ in humans and is the first line of defense against the outside environment
The results showed that C-PC was not toxic at any concentration; instead, C-PC treatment at concentrations of 40 and 80 μg/mL increased the cell growth by 11.4% and 12.2%, respectively (Figure 2a)
When analyzing the protective effect of C-PC against ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced damage in HaCaT cells, we found that UVB irradiation of untreated cells reduced their viability to 50.8% compared to that in the negative control group; when cells were pretreated with 80 μg/mL C-PC, their viability increased by 29.5% (Figure 2c)
Summary
The skin is the largest organ in humans and is the first line of defense against the outside environment. UV exposure promotes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including singlet oxygen, superoxide anion radical, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, alkoxyl radical, and hydroperoxyl radical This abnormal increase in ROS levels damages the body’s antioxidant defenses, induces oxidative stress, promotes inflammatory cytokine secretion in keratinocytes of the epidermis, and induces matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in dermal fibroblasts, promoting skin aging [4]. It is important to develop an antioxidant defense network to inhibit the production of excess free radicals in the skin or efficiently remove the generated free radicals and protect human skin cells from oxidative damage. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) overwhelm the antioxidant defense system, induce oxidative stress, and increase matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression, resulting in skin aging. Conclusions: C-PC might reduce or prevent skin aging by reducing UVB irradiation-induced skin wrinkles and free radicals
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