Anti-ageing mechanism of topical bioactive ingredient composition on skin based on network pharmacology

Abstract

Objective: To elucidate the anti-ageing mechanism of the combination of eight ingredients on the skin from a multidimensional view of the skin. Methods: The target pathway mechanisms of composition to delay skin ageing were investigated by a network pharmacology approach and experimentally validated at three levels: epidermal, dermal, and tissue. Results: We identified 24 statistically significant skin ageing-related pathways, encompassing crucial processes such as epidermal barrier repair, dermal collagen and elastin production, inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as modulation of acetylcholine and acetylcholine receptor binding. Furthermore, our in vitro experimental findings exhibited the following outcomes: the composition promotes fibroblast proliferation and the expression of barrier-related genes in the epidermis; it also stimulated the expression of collagen I, collagen III, and elastic fibre while inhibiting ROS and β-Gal levels in HDF cells within the dermis. Additionally, Spilanthol in the Acmella oleracea extract contained in the composition demonstrated neuro-relaxing activity in Zebrafish embryo, suggesting its potential as an anti-wrinkle ingredient at the hypodermis level. Conclusions: In vitro experiments validated the anti-ageing mechanism of composition at multiple skin levels. This framework can be extended to unravel the functional mechanisms of other clinically validated compositions, including traditional folk recipes utilized in cosmeceuticals.