An article published in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity discussed that the exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light triggers the rapid generation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skin cells, with consequent increase in oxidative stress, and thus, in photoaging.

Here, the authors proposed that exogenous supplementation with dietary antioxidants and/or skin pretreatment with antioxidant-based lotions before sun exposure might be an effective strategy against age-related skin pathologies. Plants produce many secondary metabolites to protect themselves from UV radiations – these compounds can also protect the human skin from photoaging.

This article reported that phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and carotenoids, derived from different plant species, can protect the skin by preventing UV penetration, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress and influencing several survival-signaling pathways. Oxidants play a double role in cell metabolism and on environmental and xenobiotic agents involved in skin photoaging. Dietary antioxidants from fruits and vegetables have a protective effect, as well as antiaging properties—which act by reduction of oxidative stress pathways.

Natural compounds used against photoaging are phenolic compounds, including flavonoids – catechins, isoflavones, proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins; phenolic acids – benzoic, gallic and cinnamic acids; and stilbenes – derived from plants such as tea, grape, bergamot, fernblock, rooibos, grapefruit and red orange. All these compounds can prevent the penetration of radiations into the skin. Additionally, they can reduce inflammation, oxidative stressand influence several signaling pathways in order to protect the skin against UV damage. Recent findings have revealed that two phenolic compounds—malvidin and cyanidin—extracted from fruits of the açai tree (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) – a South American palm, were able to counteract UVA-induced oxidative stress in immortalized fibroblasts. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of water extracts from Opuntiaficus-indica L. cladodes on human keratinocytes, have also been detected. Particularly, eucomic and piscidic acids were found to be the main active phenolic compounds responsible for the protection of keratinocytes against the UVA-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis

Source: Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2018; 2018: 1454936. doi:10.1155/2018/1454936