Analysis of Active Components and Transcriptome of Freesia refracta Callus Extract and Its Effects against Oxidative Stress and Wrinkles in Skin.

Freesia refracta (FR), a perennial flower of the Iris family (Iridaceae), is widely used in cosmetics despite limited scientific evidence of its skin benefits and chemical composition, particularly of FR callus extract (FCE). This study identified biologically active compounds in FCE and assessed their skin benefits, focusing on anti-aging. FR calli were cultured, extracted with water at 40 °C, and analyzed using Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and HCA, revealing key compounds, namely nicotinamide and pyroglutamic acid. FCE significantly increased collagen I production by 52% in normal and aged fibroblasts and enhanced fibroblast-collagen interaction by 37%. An in vivo study of 43 female volunteers demonstrated an 11.1% reduction in skin roughness and a 2.3-fold increase in collagen density after 28 days of cream application containing 3% FCE. Additionally, the preservation tests of cosmetics containing FCE confirmed their stability over 12 weeks. These results suggest that FCE offers substantial anti-aging benefits by enhancing collagen production and fibroblast-collagen interactions. These findings highlighted the potential of FCE in cosmetic applications, providing significant improvements in skin smoothness and overall appearance. This study fills a gap in the scientific literature regarding the skin benefits and chemical composition of FR callus extract, supporting its use in the development of effective cosmeceuticals.

Wound healing effect of polydeoxyribonucleotide derived from Hibiscus sabdariffa callus via Nrf2 signaling in human keratinocytes.

There has been a growing interest in skin recovery in both the medical and cosmetics fields, leading to an increasing number of studies reporting diverse materials being utilized for this purpose. Among them, polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) is known for its efficacy in skin repair processes, while Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) is recognized for its antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and wound healing properties, including its positive impact on mammalian skin and cells. We hypothesized that these characteristics may have a germane relationship during the healing process. Consequently, we induced calli from HS and then extracted PDRN for use in treating human keratinocytes. PDRN (5 µg/mL) had considerable wound healing effects and wrinkle improvement effects. To confirm its function at the molecular level, we performed real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunocytochemistry. Furthermore, genes related to wound healing (MMP9, Nrf2, KGF, VEGF, SOD2, and AQP3) were significantly upregulated. Additionally, the protein expression of MMP9, AQP3, and CAT, which are closely related to wound healing and antioxidant cascades, was considerably enhanced. Based on cellular morphology and molecular-level evidence, we propose that PDRN from calli of HS can improve wound healing in human keratinocytes. Furthermore, its potential to serve as a novel material in cosmetic products is demonstrated.

Genome assembly of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. provides insights into metabolisms of medicinal natural products.

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is a widely cultivated herbaceous plant with diverse applications in food, tea, fiber, and medicine. In this study, we present a high-quality genome assembly of H. sabdariffa using more than 33 Gb of high-fidelity (HiFi) long-read sequencing data, corresponding to ∼20× depth of the genome. We obtained 3 genome assemblies of H. sabdariffa: 1 primary and 2 partially haplotype-resolved genome assemblies. These genome assemblies exhibit N50 contig lengths of 26.25, 11.96, and 14.50 Mb, with genome coverage of 141.3, 86.0, and 88.6%, respectively. We also utilized 26 Gb of total RNA sequencing data to predict 154k, 79k, and 87k genes in the respective assemblies. The completeness of the primary genome assembly and its predicted genes was confirmed by the benchmarking universal single-copy ortholog analysis with a completeness rate of 99.3%. Based on our high-quality genomic resources, we constructed genetic networks for phenylpropanoid and flavonoid metabolism and identified candidate biosynthetic genes, which are responsible for producing key intermediates of roselle-specific medicinal natural products. Our comprehensive genomic and functional analysis opens avenues for further exploration and application of valuable natural products in H. sabdariffa.

Cannabis sativa (Hemp) seed-derived peptides WVYY and PSLPA modulate the Nrf2 signaling pathway in human keratinocytes.

Cannabis sativa (Hemp) seeds are used widely for cosmetic and therapeutic applications, and contain peptides with substantial therapeutic potential. Two key peptides, WVYY and PSLPA, extracted from hemp seed proteins were the focal points of this study. These peptides have emerged as pivotal contributors to the various biological effects of hemp seed extracts. Consistently, in the present study, the biological effects of WVYY and PSLPA were explored. We confirmed that both WVYY and PSLPA exert antioxidant and antibacterial effects and promote wound healing. We hypothesized the involvement of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway in these observed effects, given that Nrf2 is reported to be a central player in the regulation of these observed effects. Molecular-level investigations unequivocally confirmed the role of the Nrf2 signaling pathway in the observed effects of WVYY and PSLPA, specifically their antioxidant effects. Our study highlights the therapeutic potential of hemp seed-derived peptides WVYY and PSLPA, particularly with respect to their antioxidant effects, and provides a nuanced understanding of their effects. Further, our findings can facilitate the investigation of targeted therapeutic applications and also underscore the broader significance of hemp extracts in biological contexts.

Skin-Whitening Effect of a Callus Extract of Nelumbo nucifera Isolate Haman.

The sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. Isolate Haman, in the family Nelumbonaceae) used in this study originated from the Haman region of Korea, and lotus seeds dating back to the Goryeo Dynasty (650-760 years ago) were accidentally discovered. Lotus is known to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties. Instead of using the lotus alone, we obtained extracts using Haman region lotus-derived callus (HLC), which allowed for a controlled, quantitative, and infinite supply. Based on the reported effects of the lotus, we formulated a hypothesis to investigate the skin-whitening effect of the HLC extract (HLCE). The HLCE was first obtained by extraction with distilled water and using 5% propanediol as a solvent and subsequently verified for the whitening effect (melanin content tests) using mammalian cells in vitro. Its efficacy at the molecular level was confirmed through real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using melanin-related genes. Furthermore, clinical trials with 21 volunteers confirmed the significant whitening effect of cosmetics containing the HLCE. In conclusion, we found that the HLCE not only has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and skin-soothing properties but also plays an essential role in skin whitening. Therefore, we propose that the HLCE has the potential to become a new raw material for the cosmetic industry.

Synthesis of Kisspeptin-Mimicking Fragments and Investigation of their Skin Anti-Aging Effects.

In recent years, a number of active materials have been developed to provide anti-aging benefits for skin and, among them, peptides have been considered the most promising candidate due to their remarkable and long-lasting anti-wrinkle activity. Recent studies have begun to elucidate the relationship between the secretion of emotion-related hormones and skin aging. Kisspeptin, a neuropeptide encoded by the KISS1 gene, has gained attention in reproductive endocrinology since it stimulates the reproductive axis in the hypothalamus; however, the effects of Kisspeptin on skin have not been studied yet. In this study, we synthesized Kisspeptin-10 and Kisspeptin-E, which are biologically active fragments, to mimic the action of Kisspeptin. Next, we demonstrated the anti-aging effects of the Kisspeptin-mimicking fragments using UV-induced skin aging models, such as UV-induced human dermal fibroblasts (Hs68) and human skin explants. Kisspeptin-E suppressed UV-induced 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) stimulation leading to a regulation of skin aging related genes, including type I procollagen, matrix metalloproteinases-1 (MMP-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-8, and rescued the skin integrity. Taken together, these results suggest that Kisspeptin-E could be useful to improve UV-induced skin aging by modulating expression of stress related genes, such as 11ß-HSD1.

Acceleration of somatic cell reprogramming into the induced pluripotent stem cell using a mycosporine-like amino acid, Porphyra 334.

Porphyra 334 (P334), a mycosporine-like amino acid (MAA), is a secondary metabolite found in diverse marine and terrestrial organisms and has several beneficial effects on fibroblast proliferation, wound healing, and antioxidant activity. Here, we report that P334 accelerates the cell reprogramming process of mouse tail-tip fibroblasts (TTFs) and human dermal papilla (HDP) cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We found that P334 significantly improved the cell reprogramming efficiency by activating the tri-methylation of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3), which controls mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) during the reprogramming process. Thus, we found that P334 directly regulates epigenetic changes, providing an efficient approach for natural compound-based cell reprogramming.

Anti-Aging Effects of Leontopodium alpinum (Edelweiss) Callus Culture Extract Through Transcriptome Profiling.

Edelweiss (Leontopodium Alpinum) in the family Asteraceae is a wildflower that grows in rocky limestone places. Here, we investigated the efficacy of edelweiss callus culture extract (Leontopodium Alpinum callus culture extract; LACCE) using multiple assays from in vitro to in vivo as well as transcriptome profiling. Several in vitro assay results showed the strong antioxidant activity of LACCE in response to UVB treatment. Moreover, LACCE suppressed inflammation and wrinkling; however, moisturizing activity was increased by LACCE. The clinical test in vivo demonstrated that constant application of LACCE on the face and skin tissues improved anti-periorbital wrinkles, skin elasticity, dermal density, and skin thickness compared with the placebo. The RNA-Sequencing results showed at least 16.56% of human genes were expressed in keratinocyte cells. LACCE up-regulated genes encoding several KRT proteins; DDIT4, BNIP3, and IGFBP3 were involved in the positive regulation of the developmental process, programmed cell death, keratinization, and cornification forming skin barriers, which provide many advantages in the human skin. By contrast, down-regulated genes were stress-responsive genes, including metal, oxidation, wounding, hypoxia, and virus infection, suggesting LACCE did not cause any harmful stress on the skin. Our comprehensive study demonstrated LACCE is a promising agent for anti-aging cosmetics.

Anti-inflammation activities of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in response to UV radiation suggest potential anti-skin aging activity.

Certain photosynthetic marine organisms have evolved mechanisms to counteract UV-radiation by synthesizing UV-absorbing compounds, such as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). In this study, MAAs were separated from the extracts of marine green alga Chlamydomonas hedleyi using HPLC and were identified as porphyra-334, shinorine, and mycosporine-glycine (mycosporine-Gly), based on their retention times and maximum absorption wavelengths. Furthermore, their structures were confirmed by triple quadrupole MS/MS. Their roles as UV-absorbing compounds were investigated in the human fibroblast cell line HaCaT by analyzing the expression levels of genes associated with antioxidant activity, inflammation, and skin aging in response to UV irradiation. The mycosporine-Gly extract, but not the other MAAs, had strong antioxidant activity in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Furthermore, treatment with mycosporine-Gly resulted in a significant decrease in COX-2 mRNA levels, which are typically increased in response to inflammation in the skin, in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, in the presence of MAAs, the UV-suppressed genes, procollagen C proteinase enhancer (PCOLCE) and elastin, which are related to skin aging, had increased expression levels equal to those in UV-mock treated cells. Interestingly, the increased expression of involucrin after UV exposure was suppressed by treatment with the MAAs mycosporine-Gly and shinorine, but not porphyra-334. This is the first report investigating the biological activities of microalgae-derived MAAs in human cells.

Arabidopsis calcium-dependent protein kinase AtCPK32 interacts with ABF4, a transcriptional regulator of abscisic acid-responsive gene expression, and modulates its activity.

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates stress-responsive gene expression during vegetative growth. The ABA regulation of many genes is mediated by a subfamily of basic leucine zipper class transcription factors referred to as ABFs (i.e. ABF1-ABF4), whose transcriptional activity is induced by ABA. Here we show that a calcium-dependent protein kinase is involved in the ABA-dependent activation process. We carried out yeast two-hybrid screens to identify regulatory components of ABF4 function and isolated AtCPK32 as an ABF4-interacting protein. AtCPK32 has autophosphorylation activity and can phosphorylate ABF4 in vitro. Mutational analysis indicated that serine-110 of ABF4, which is highly conserved among ABF family members, may be phosphorylated by AtCPK32. The serine-110 residue is essential for ABF4-AtCPK32 interaction, and transient expression assay revealed that it is also required for the normal transcriptional function of ABF4. The expression patterns and subcellular localization of AtCPK32 are similar to those of ABF4. Furthermore, its overexpression affects both ABA sensitivity and the expression of a number of ABF4-regulated genes. Together, our data demonstrate that AtCPK32 is an ABA signaling component that regulates the ABA-responsive gene expression via ABF4.