Improvement of Skin Barrier Dysfunction by Phenolic‐containing Extracts of Lycium barbarum via Nrf2/HO‐1 Regulation

• Published in: Photochemistry and photobiology Vol. 98; no. 1; pp. 262 - 271
• Main Authors: Liu, Guan‐Ting, Li, Yong‐Liang, Wang, Jing, Dong, Chang‐Zhi, Deng, Minggao, Tai, Meiling, Deng, Lili, Che, Biao, Lin, Li, Du, Zhi‐Yun, Chen, Hui‐Xiong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2022
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biological activity; Collagen; Erythema; Filaggrin; Lycium - metabolism; Lycium barbarum; Matrix metalloproteinase; Matrix metalloproteinases; Metalloproteinase; Mice; Natural products; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 - metabolism; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Phenols - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Skin; Skin diseases; Topical application
• ISSN: 0031-8655; 1751-1097; 1751-1097
• DOI: 10.1111/php.13498

Lycium barbarum have received an increasing popularity due to its powerful biological activity and medicinal use. However, the effect of Lycium barbarum on skin remains largely uncharacterized. The general purpose of this paper was to characterize the phenolic compounds in Lycium barbarum extract (LBE) using LC‐HRMS/QTOF method and to investigate whether topical administration of LBE can repair skin barrier dysfunction in mice. Our data demonstrated that LBE could not only decrease ROS level and matrix metalloproteinase expression, but also strengthen intrinsic antioxidant defense system including SOD, GSH‐Px and CAT, thereby resulting in increased skin collagen content and an improvement of UV‐induced skin erythema, thickness and wrinkles. Improved skin barrier functions were highly correlated with increased expression of filaggrin, involucrin and loricrin as well as antioxidant proteins such as Nrf2 and HO‐1 in UV‐irradiated mice, suggesting that LBE may be promising natural products at a lower cost for the topical application in the treatment of skin diseases with defective barrier function. Phenolic‐containing extracts of Lycium barbarum (LBE) have a beneficial effect on skin barrier impairment and effectively prevents skin dryness, epidermal thickening, wrinkles and widespread erythema through strengthening antioxidative enzyme activities and inhibiting the excessive degradation of collagen. LBE are effective to induce the protection of skin barrier function by activating Nrf2 and its related signaling pathway as well as upregulating epidermal barrier proteins including FLG, IVL and LOR and scavenging ROS produced in mouse skin.