Ellagic acid prevents ultraviolet radiation-induced chronic skin damage of skin cells and in the hairless mice
Ji-Young Bae1,
Jung Lye Kim1 and
Young-Hee Kang1
1 Food Science and Nutrition, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea, Republic of
ABSTRACT
Ellagic acid, a polyphenol compound present in berries and nuts, has received attention as an agent that may have potential bioactivities preventing chronic diseases. UV radiation led to collagen degradation mediated by MMP has been suggested to cause skin wrinkling. In this study, we examined the photoprotective effect of ellagic acid on collagen degradation and inflammation responses in UV-B irradiated human skin cells. Ellagic acid attenuated the UV-B-induced toxicity of skin cells, evidenced by MTT assay. Western blot analysis revealed that ellagic acid markedly prevented collagen degradation through blocking production of MMP in UV-B-exposed dermal fibroblasts. In addition, ellagic acid mitigated expression of inflammatory ICAM-1 in UV-B-irradiated HaCaT cells. Anti-wrinkle activity of topical ellagic acid was further investigated in vivo in hairless mice exposed to UV-B for 8 weeks. Topical application of 10 µM ellagic acid on the skin surface of hairless mice inhibited UV-B-triggered skin wrinkle formation and increase in epidermal thickness. Additionally, ellagic acid attenuated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 in mice. These results demonstrate that ellagic acid prevents UV-B-irradiated wrinkle formation and photoaging caused by collagen destruction and inflammatory responses. Supported by grant (KRF F00072) from Korea Research Foundation and Brain Korea 21.
