Photoprotective and antipollution assessment of a skin care formulation

Author: Samara Eberlin

Published at: May 23, 2017

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 76(6) Supplement 1, AB197, 2017.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2017.04.769
Antonio C. Vanzo, Jr, Liliana B. O. Torloni, Renan Lage, Andréia F. C. Pereira, Maurizio Mercuri, Amanda Francielli Pereira, Michelle Sabrina da Silva, Gustavo Facchini, Samara Eberlin.

Extrinsic cutaneous aging is attributed to changes in the skin due to lifestyle, being influenced mainly by ultraviolet radiation (UV), but also by pollution resulting from smoking, chemicals, heat, and other environmental insults. After exposure to UV radiation, the formation of free radicals occurs, causing damage to cells and triggering an inflammatory response. In addition, cigarette smoke exerts harmful effects on the skin mediated by the AhR receptor (aryl hydrocarbon receptor), a cytosolic transcription factor found in an inactive form, which binds to the toxic agent and translocates to the cell nucleus, where it regulates the transcription of genes involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, immunosuppression, pigmentation, premature aging, and skin cancer. In this sense, the search for substances that can reduce or reverse the skin aging process is a constant tool of research and development in cosmetics and dermatology. A strategy for the development of a more robust product capable of preventing oxidative stress involves the use of antioxidants to prevent redox imbalance and maintain cellular homeostasis, containing the progression of chain reactions that oxidize organic substrates. The objective of this study was to evaluate the preclinical efficacy of an antioxidant skin care product (nano-tocopherols+resveratrol; nano-omegas 3, 6, and 9; standardized complex of berries) against damage caused by UV radiation and cigarette smoke in cultured human keratinocytes and fibroblasts by quantifying the AhR receptor, NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa B), HSP-47 (heat shock protein 47), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total glutathione. The results allow us to infer that the antioxidant skin care product exerts a protective effect against oxidative stress by mechanisms that involve the capture and neutralization of free radicals, thereby conserving the consumption of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione, as well as reducing lipid peroxidation. In parallel, the investigational product has a protective role against the deleterious effects of xenobiotic pollutants, as it protected the nuclear translocation of the AhR receptor and presented an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing the production of NF-κB and a decrease in HSP-47 shock protein, indicating a possible protective role of the dermis against damage caused by oxidative stress. These findings demonstrate that the antioxidant skin care product can help reduce and mitigate the issues and signs of skin aging produced by constant exposure to exogenous agents, particularly cigarette smoke and ultraviolet radiation.