Protective effect of the Rubus chingii Hu. fruit extract on ultraviolet B-induced photoaging via suppression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in vitro

Abstract

Rubus chingii Hu. is an important traditional Chinese medicine with a beneficial effect on the kidney. Traditional Chinese medicine theory believes that supporting the kidney has a key role in anti-aging. To the best of our knowledge, the anti-photoaging activity of Rubus chingii Hu. has not been investigated. We investigated the anti-photoaging effects and the underlying mechanism of the ethyl acetate fraction of Rubus chingii Hu. fruit ethanol extract (E-EA) in UVB-induced human fibroblasts (HFF-1). Our results show that E-EA (10-40 μg/mL) displayed preventive and therapeutic effects on UVB-induced cytotoxicity in HFF-1 cells. E-EA also presented significant anti-photoaging properties in UVB-induced HFF-1 cells by decreasing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting matrix metallopeptidase 1 (MMP-1) production and promoting type-I procollagen production via suppression of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. These results suggested that E-EA might be a promising anti-photoaging agent to protect the skin from UVB damage, with a potential application in cosmetics.