Tart Cherry Extract Containing Chlorogenic Acid, Quercetin, and Kaempferol Inhibits the Mitochondrial Apoptotic Cell Death Elicited by Airborne PM10 in Human Epidermal Keratinocytes

Tart Cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) Pit Extracts Protect Human Skin Cells against Oxidative Stress: Unlocking Sustainable Uses for Food Industry Byproducts

Industrial processing of tart cherries (Prunus cerasus L.) produces bioproducts like cherry pits (CP), which contribute to adverse environmental effects. To identify sustainable strategies to minimize the environmental impact of cherry processing, we investigated their potential value as antioxidants for prospective utilization within cosmeceutical applications. Untargeted metabolomic analyses of water and water: ethanol CP extracts using an eco-friendly technique revealed significant enrichment in coumaroyl derivatives and flavonoids with congruent metabolite representation regardless of the extraction solvent. The antioxidant activity of tart CP extracts was evaluated on human skin cells exposed to H2O2 or LPS, modeling environmentally induced oxidants. Notably, both CP extracts provide antioxidant activity by reducing H2O2 or LPS-induced ROS in human skin keratinocytes without affecting cell viability. The CP extracts increased the expression of CAT and SOD1 genes encoding antioxidant regulatory enzymes while decreasing the expression of NOS2, a pro-oxidant regulator. These findings reveal the antioxidant properties of tart CP, offering new opportunities to produce natural-based skin care products and adding economic value while providing sustainable options to reduce the environmental impact of food byproducts.

A systematic review of anti-cancer roles and mechanisms of kaempferol as a natural compound

It has been shown in multiple experimental and biological investigations that kaempferol, an edible flavonoid generated from plants, may be used as an anti-cancer drug and has been shown to have anti-cancer properties. Many signaling pathways are altered in cancer cells, resulting in cell growth inhibition and death in various tumor types. Cancer is a multifaceted illness coordinated by multiple external and internal mechanisms. Natural extracts with the fewest side effects have piqued the attention of researchers in recent years, attempting to create cancer medicines based on them. An extensive array of natural product-derived anti-cancer agents have been examined to find a successful method. Numerous fruits and vegetables have high levels of naturally occurring flavonoid kaempferol, and its pharmacological and biological effects have been studied extensively. Certain forms of cancer are sensitive to kaempferol-mediated anti-cancer activity, although complete research is needed. We have endeavored to concentrate our review on controlling carcinogenic pathways by kaempferol in different malignancies. Aside from its extraordinary ability to modify cell processes, we have also discussed how kaempferol has the potential to be an effective therapy for numerous tumors.

Preventative Effects of Antioxidants against PM10 on Serum IgE Concentration, Mast Cell Counts, Inflammatory Cytokines, and Keratinocyte Differentiation Markers in DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis Mouse Model

Particulate matter (PM) can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and skin aging. We investigated the effects of antioxidants such as dieckol, punicalagin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), resveratrol, and Siegesbeckiae Herba extract (SHE) against PM < 10 μm (PM10) on serum IgE concentration, mast cell counts, inflammatory cytokines, and keratinocyte differentiation markers in a 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis mouse model. Seven-week-old BALB/c mice were sensitized with 2% DNCB. Atopic dermatitis-like lesions were induced on the mice with 0.2% DNCB. Antioxidants and PM10 were applied to the mice for 4 weeks. PM10 increased the serum IgE concentration and spleen weight in mice, and all antioxidants downregulated these parameters. Histological examination showed an increase in epidermal thickness and mast cell counts in response to PM10, and all antioxidants showed a decrease. PM10 upregulates the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17α, IL-25, IL-31 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in mice, and all antioxidants inhibited the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines. ELISA showed the same results as real-time PCR. PM10 downregulates the expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers, including loricrin and filaggrin, in mouse keratinocytes and antioxidants prevented the downregulation of the keratinocyte differentiation markers. Conclusively, PM10 aggravated the DNCB-induced mouse model in serum IgE concentration, mast cell counts, inflammatory cytokine, and keratinocyte differentiation markers. In addition, antioxidants modulated changes in the DNCB-induced mouse model caused by PM10.

Citrus junos Tanaka Peel Extract and Its Bioactive Naringin Reduce Fine Dust-Induced Respiratory Injury Markers in BALB/c Male Mice

Particulate matter (PM) 10 refers to fine dust with a diameter of less than 10 µm and induces apoptosis and inflammatory responses through oxidative stress. Citrus junos Tanaka is a citrus fruit and contains bioactive flavonoids including naringin. In the present study, we aimed to identify the preventive effect of Citrus junos Tanaka peel extract (CPE) against PM10-induced lung injury. As a proof of concept, NCI-H460 cells were treated with CPE (800 μg/mL, 12 h) in conjunction with PM10 to examine intracellular antioxidative capacity in the pulmonary system. In an in vivo model, male BALB/c mice (n = 8/group) were randomly assigned into five groups: NEG (saline-treated), POS (PM10 only), NAR (PM10 + naringin, 100 mg/kg), CPL (PM10 + CPE low, 100 mg/kg), and CPH (PM10 + CPE high, 400 mg/kg). Intervention groups received dietary supplementations for 7 days followed by PM10 exposure (100 mg/kg, intranasal instillation). Compared to the NEG, the CPE decreased to 22% of the ROS generation and significantly increased cell viability in vitro. The histological assessments confirmed that pulmonary damages were alleviated in the PM10 + CPL group compared to the POS. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and NF-κB/apoptosis signaling-related markers were decreased in the PM10 + CPL group compared to the POS. These results indicated that CPE showed promising efficacy in preventing pulmonary injuries in vivo. Such protection can be explained by the anti-oxidative capacity of CPE, likely due to its bioactives, including naringin (7.74 mg/g CPE). Follow-up human intervention, as well as population-level studies, will further shed light on the preventive efficacy of CPE against pulmonary damage in humans.

Omnifarious fruit polyphenols: an omnipotent strategy to prevent and intervene diabetes and related complication?

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome which cannot be cured. Recently, considerable interest has been focused on food ingredients to prevent and intervene in complications of diabetes. Polyphenolic compounds are one of the bioactive phytochemical constituents with various biological activities, which have drawn increasing interest in human health. Fruits are part of the polyphenol sources in daily food consumption. Fruit-derived polyphenols possess the anti-diabetic activity that has already been proved either from in vitro studies or in vivo studies. The mechanisms of fruit polyphenols in treating diabetes and related complications are under discussion. This is a comprehensive review on polyphenols from the edible parts of fruits, including those from citrus, berries, apples, cherries, mangoes, mangosteens, pomegranates, and other fruits regarding their potential benefits in preventing and treating diabetes mellitus. The signal pathways of characteristic polyphenols derived from fruits in reducing high blood glucose and intervening hyperglycemia-induced diabetic complications were summarized.

Siegesbeckiae Herba Extract and Chlorogenic Acid Ameliorate the Death of HaCaT Keratinocytes Exposed to Airborne Particulate Matter by Mitigating Oxidative Stress

Airborne particulate matter with a size of 10 μm or less (PM₁₀) can cause oxidative damages and inflammatory reactions in the skin. This study was conducted to discover natural products that are potentially useful in protecting the skin from PM₁₀. Among the hot water extracts of a total of 23 medicinal plants, Siegesbeckiae Herba extract (SHE), which showed the strongest protective effect against PM₁₀ cytotoxicity, was selected, and its mechanism of action and active constituents were explored. SHE ameliorated PM₁₀-induced cell death, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, lipid peroxidation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in HaCaT cells. SHE decreased the expression of KEAP1, a negative regulator of NRF2, and increased the expression of NRF2 target genes, such as HMOX1 and NQO1. SHE selectively induced the enzymes involved in the synthesis of GSH (GCL-c and GCL-m), the regeneration of GSH (GSR and G6PDH), and GSH conjugation of xenobiotics (GSTκ1), rather than the enzymes that directly scavenge ROS (SOD1, CAT, and GPX1). SHE increased the cellular content of GSH and mitigated the oxidation of GSH to GSSG caused by PM₁₀ exposure. Of the solvent fractions of SHE, the n-butyl alcohol (BA) fraction ameliorated cell death in both the absence and presence of PM₁₀. The BA fraction contained a high amount of chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid reduced PM₁₀-induced cell death, LDH release, and ROS production. This study suggests that SHE protects cells from PM₁₀ toxicity by increasing the cellular antioxidant capacity and that chlorogenic acid may be an active phytochemical of SHE.

Oleanolic Acid Nanofibers Attenuated Particulate Matter-Induced Oxidative Stress in Keratinocytes

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is one of the indicators of air pollution, and it is also the main factor causing oxidative stress in the skin. Oleanolic acid (OA), a natural terpenoid compound, effectively inhibited PM-induced skin aging; however, OA has poor water solubility and skin absorption, which limit its application in medicines and cosmetics. The aim of this study was to prepare oleanolic acid nanofibers (OAnf) and evaluate the effects of OA and OAnf in PM-treated keratinocytes. The results showed that OA dissolved in dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) attenuated PM-induced reactive oxygen species overproduction, stress-activated protein kinase/Jun-amino-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) activation, and the expressions of inflammatory and skin-aging-related proteins. In addition, the nanofiber process of OA effectively improved the water solubility of OA more than 99,000-fold through changing its physicochemical properties, including a surface area increase, particle size reduction, amorphous transformation, and hydrogen bonding formation with excipients. The skin penetration ability of OAnf was consistently over 10-fold higher than that of OA. Moreover, when dissolved in PBS, OAnf displayed superior antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-skin aging activities in PM-treated keratinocytes than OA. In conclusion, our findings suggest that OAnf could be a topical antioxidant formulation to attenuate skin problems caused by PM.