Determination of the anti-aging and skin-protective potential of Greek plants

Natural extracts are enriched repositories for identification of novel bioactive compounds or Natural Products (NPs) with cosmeceutical, pharmacological or disease treating properties. During the CosmAGE project we are performing an extensive high-throughput screening of extracts from various plants of the Greek flora, aiming to identify novel NPs with potential anti-aging and/or cosmeceutical properties. Specifically, 52 plant species and organs from different genus including Abies sp., Achillea sp., Arbutus sp., Cistus sp., Epilobium sp., Pistacia sp., and Juniperus sp., were extracted (ASE and SFE-CO₂) and evaluated against different biological targets. In parallel LC-HRMS-based profiling was performed to reveal their chemical composition. Obtained extracts were screened in cell-free systems and in normal human skin cells for their antioxidant capacity and for their ability to activate cytoprotective modules of the proteostasis network, as well as for their potential skin protective effects as evidenced by effective inhibition of the skin aging-related enzymes, collagenase, elastase and tyrosinase. Further, they were tested in zebrafish embryos, which allow in vivo monitoring of complex cell behaviour and physiological parameters, for their capacity to inhibit melanogenesis and/or promote wound healing. Our findings (on-going screening) have revealed promising extracts (IC₅₀ values in the range of 1-10 ug/mL) that could be a potential repository of novel NPs with anti-aging and/or skin-protective properties.

 

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Publication History

Article published online:
16 November 2023