Anti-Skin Aging and Photoprotective Potentials of Plant Bioactives

Lee, Zhi Xuan (2023) Anti-Skin Aging and Photoprotective Potentials of Plant Bioactives. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Human skin is an organ that is frequently subjected to oxidative stress because of ROS generation, and a lack of intracellular antioxidants. UV overexposure is one of the primary causes of oxidative stress, which accelerates inflammatory responses and the skin aging process. Several previous in-vitro studies have demonstrated that corn silk peptide (CSP) and Cratoxylum Cochinchinense extract (CCE) have the potential to exhibit antioxidant properties. Hence, the purpose of this study is to assess the potential of CSP and CCE as anti-aging and sun protective agents. The functional groups of CCE were analyzed via FTIR to predict the presence of secondary metabolites that might contribute to the cosmeceutical values. The anti-aging ability of CCE and CSP was examined using in-vitro anti-tyrosinase and anti-elastase activity, while sunscreen ability was determined using in-vitro SPF method. The anti-inflammatory efficacy of both botanical components was evaluated via a protein denaturation assay using bovine serum albumin (BSA). The FTIR analysis suggested the presence of phenolic compounds in CCE. The anti-tyrosinase activity of CCE was determined to be 38.95 ± 0.86% at 60 μg/mL, which was lower than the positive control. CCE and CSP showed anti-elastase action, with both being as effective as the positive control. Moreover, dose-dependent SPF values were observed for both plant bioactives, with CCE exhibiting higher SPF levels than CSP but not surpassing the positive control, indicating CCE's potential as sunscreen agents. CCE with concentration 150 and 300 μg/mL inhibited BSA denaturation 2.5 and 3.5-fold less than the positive control, respectively. However, it was not feasible to test the CSP for its ability to inhibit BSA denaturation due to the strong network interactions between BSA and CSP, causing the formation of semi-solid gel. In conclusion, CCE has the potential to be incorporated into cosmeceutical products compared to CSP. Keywords: CSP, CCE, Anti-aging, Sun Protective, Anti-inflammatory