Jasminum sambac Cell Extract as Antioxidant Booster against Skin Aging.

Oxidative stress plays a major role in the skin aging process through the reactive oxygen species production and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation. Antioxidant ingredients are therefore needed in the skin care market and the use of molecules coming from plant cell cultures provide a unique opportunity. In this paper, the features of an hydroethanolic extract obtained by Jasminum sambac cells (JasHEx) were explored. The antioxidant and anti-AGE properties were investigated by a multidisciplinary approach combining mass spectrometric and bio-informatic in vitro and ex vivo experiments. JasHEx contains phenolic acid derivatives, lignans and triterpenes and it was found to reduce cytosolic reactive oxygen species production in keratinocytes exposed to exogenous stress. It also showed the ability to reduce AGE formation and to increase the collagen type I production in extracellular matrix. Data demonstrated that JasHEx antioxidant properties were related to its free radical scavenging and metal chelating activities and to the activation of the Nrf2/ARE pathway. This can well explain JasHEx anti-inflammatory activity related to the decrease in NO levels in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Thus, JasHEx can be considered a powerful antioxidant booster against oxidative stress-induced skin aging.

An Oenothera biennis Cell Cultures Extract Endowed with Skin Anti-Ageing Activity Improves Cell Mechanical Properties.

Skin aging is a very well-known process setting a gradual worsening of skin mechanical features due to a decline in the production of the extra-cellular matrix machinery and to a concurrent change in the contraction process. To slow this progression, it is crucial to induce the expression of several proteins able to promote elastic fibers formation and tissue repair. Here, the Oenothera biennis cell culture aqueous extract has been investigated from a chemical point of view and then it was tested in vitro, in cell, and in ex vivo experiments as adjuvant in counteracting skin aging. Accordingly, it has been shown that the Oenothera biennis extract was able, by increasing MYLK gene expression, to promote matrix collagen contraction, actin polymerization, and the production of essential ECM proteins.

Plant cell culture extract of Cirsium eriophorum with skin pore refiner activity by modulating sebum production and inflammatory response.

Facial pore enlargement is considered a significant esthetic and health concern in skincare cosmetics. The pores fulfill the critical function of keeping the skin surface hydrated and protected against microbial infections. The hyperseborrhea, the stress factors, and the hormonal triggers can cause pore size enlargement, causing higher susceptibility of the skin to microbe aggressions and inflammatory reactions. Thus, reducing excessive sebum production and keeping functional pores are two of the most requested activities in skincare cosmetics. A Cirsium eriophorum cell culture extract was investigated for its role in sebum regulation, stratum corneum desquamation, and anti-inflammation. The extract was able to regulate essential markers associated with sebum secretion and pore enlargements, such as the enzyme 5α-reductase, which plays a central role in sebum production, and the trypsin-like serine protease Kallikrein 5, which promotes skin exfoliation and antimicrobial response. Moreover, the extract showed a sebum-normalizing and pore refining activity in individuals having seborrheic or acne-prone skins, suggesting a role of the C. eriophorum extract in rebalancing altered skin conditions responsible for pore enlargement.

Targeting the diuretic hormone receptor to control the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis.

The cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the most devastating pests of crops worldwide. Several types of treatments have been used against this pest, but many of them failed because of the rapid development of genetic resistance in the different insect populations. G protein coupled receptors have vital functions in most organisms, including insects; thus, they are appealing targets for species-specific pest control strategies. Among the insect G protein coupled receptors, the diuretic hormone receptors have several key roles in development and metabolism, but their importance in vivo and their potential role as targets of novel pest control strategies are largely unexplored. With the goal of using DHR genes as targets to control S. littoralis, we cloned a corticotropin-releasing factor-like binding receptor in this species and expressed the corresponding dsRNA in tobacco plants to knock down the receptor activity in vivo through RNA interference. We also expressed the receptor in mammalian cells to study its signaling pathways. The results indicate that this diuretic hormone receptor gene has vital roles in S. littoralis and represents an excellent molecular target to protect agriculturally-important plants from this pest.

A mixture of peptides and sugars derived from plant cell walls increases plant defense responses to stress and attenuates ageing-associated molecular changes in cultured skin cells.

Small peptides and aminoacid derivatives have been extensively studied for their effect of inducing plant defense responses, and thus increasing plant tolerance to a wide range of abiotic stresses. Similarly to plants, these compounds can activate different signaling pathways in mammalian skin cells as well, leading to the up-regulation of anti-aging specific genes. This suggests the existence of analogous defense response mechanisms, well conserved both in plants and animal cells. In this article, we describe the preparation of a new mixture of peptides and sugars derived from the chemical and enzymatic digestion of plant cell wall glycoproteins. We investigate the multiple roles of this product as potential "biostimulator" to protect plants from abiotic stresses, and also as potential cosmeceutical. In particular, the molecular effects of the peptide/sugar mixture of inducing plant defense responsive genes and protecting cultured skin cells from oxidative burst damages were deeply evaluated.