In Vitro Evaluation of Anti-Inflammatory and Protective Potential of an Extract from Cornus mas L. Fruit against H2O2-Induced Oxidative Stress in Human Skin Keratinocytes and Fibroblasts.

Cornus mas L. is a rich source of valuable compounds with pro-health properties and, therefore, may be attractive for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. This paper attempts to assess the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and protective effect of an extract from C. mas fruit on skin cells in vitro. The phytochemical analysis of the extract was carried out using UPLC-MS and the content of the main components was determined. The biological activity of the extract was assessed by in vitro analysis using two human cell lines: keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (BJ). Additionally, the ability of this extract to regulate gene expression (SOD-1, Nox-4) in skin cells was evaluated. Moreover, the impact of the extract and its main components, including loganic acid and cornuside, on the level of inflammatory cytokines in H2O2-treated cells was assessed. The tests showed that the extract has strong antioxidant properties and stimulates the proliferation of both types of cells. The results evidence that the Cornus mas L. fruit extract significantly reduces the level of reactive oxygen species in the cells tested and can modulate the expression of genes closely related to oxidative stress. Moreover, it suppresses the production of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, and the effect was related to loganic acid and cornuside. The present research indicates that the analyzed dogwood extract can be an effective means of prevention of cell damage caused by free radicals and have a positive effect on the condition of skin cells.

Moringa oleifera L. Extracts as Bioactive Ingredients That Increase Safety of Body Wash Cosmetics.

The work attempts to obtain a multifunctional plant extract derived from Moringa tree leaves. Obtained results indicate a strong antioxidant potential of the tested extracts. It was shown that Moringa oleifera leaf extract is a rich source of flavonoid and phenolic compounds. Furthermore, it shows a strong antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals. In vitro toxicity studies showed that the tested extracts in concentrations up to 5% showed a positive effect on cell proliferation and metabolism and may contribute to the reduction of oxidative stress in cells. It was noted that the tested model formulation of cosmetic (1% SCS) with the addition of different types of extracts might contribute to the reduction of skin irritation and improve the safety of the product.

IL­6 prevents CXCL8­induced stimulation of EpCAM expression in ovarian cancer cells.

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), which is expressed in the majority of epithelial tissues, exhibits tumor growth promoting abilities and is overexpressed in human epithelial ovarian cancer. Therefore, EpCAM is considered to be a promising target for specific immune­based therapies. The present study evaluated the role of IL­6 and IL­8 in the expression of EpCAM in the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line. Furthermore, the cellular localization of the EpCAM protein in A2780 cells was determined and the effect of EpCAM inhibition on the proliferation of the A2780 cells was investigated. An MTT assay demonstrated that blocking EpCAM with anti­EPCAM antibodies had no effect on cellular metabolic activity (proliferation). Gene expression analysis revealed that IL­8 increased EpCAM expression, whereas IL­6 and the combination of IL­6/IL­8 had no effect on EpCAM expression. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed that EpCAM is expressed on A2780 cell membranes. The present results demonstrated that IL­8 increased EpCAM expression at the mRNA level in ovarian cancer cells and suggested a potential role of IL­6 as an inhibitor of IL­8­stimulated EpCAM expression.

Antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity of Jerusalem artichoke tubers and leaves extract on HaCaT and BJ fibroblast cells.

BACKGROUND: Extracts from plants, rich in antioxidants may be used as active ingredients of many preparations, mainly due to their antioxidant, regenerative and anti-aging properties. The work involved a comprehensive evaluation of the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) leaf and tuber extract as a multifunctional raw material. METHODS: The plant extracts were prepared by using ultrasound-assisted extraction method (UAE).The content of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds of extracts were determined spectrophotometrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminium nitrate nonahydrate, respectively. Antioxidant activity of extract was analyzed using DPPH free radical scavenging assay and the effect of the investigated extracts on the proliferation of keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (BJ) was measured. To detect of intracellular reactive oxygen species level in tested cells, the fluorogenic dye H2DCFDA was used. In the next step, the ability of obtained extracts to regulate the expression of genes (SOD-1, Nox-4) involved in oxidative stress in cells was evaluated. RESULTS: As a result of the conducted research, it was shown that leaf extract exhibit a higher content of phenols and flavonoids comparing to tuber extracts (5.07 and 7.14 fold higher, respectively). The opposite trend was observed after proliferation assay with Neutral Red test. It was shown that tuber extract in all applied concentrations (25-500 µg·ml- 1) had a positive effect on fibroblast growth. The leaf extract showed proliferative activity only for the smallest tested concentrations (25-100 µg·ml- 1). Similar trends were observed for HaCaT cells. The distinct effect of leaves and tuber extract on the generation of ROS was observed in HaCaT cells. In the present study, it was shown that tuber and leaf extracts may increase the expression of the ROS SOD-1 inactivating enzyme gene in the fibroblast cell line. There were no significant differences in gene expression of the ROS Nox-4 producing enzyme. In the case of keratinocytes, the opposite effect was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggest that Jerusalem artichoke leaves and tubers extracts affect the cell proliferation and can alter the expression of genes related to oxidative stress.