Efficacy of Dendrobium candidum polysaccharide extract as a moisturizer

Study on Moisturizing Effect of Dendrobium officinale, Sparassis crispa, and Their Compound Extracts

BACKGROUND

Recently, natural plants have been widely developed and applied in moisturizing cosmetics. Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale) is known as one of the "Nine Immortals" of Chinese herbal medicine, whereas Sparassis crispa (Wulf.) Fr. (S. crispa) is known as the "king of mushrooms"; both of which have excellent biological activity.

AIMS

To explore the effects of D. officinale polysaccharide (DOP) with different molecular weights and S. crispa on the expression of moisturizing-related genes and verify the moisturizing performance of their complex.

METHODS

PCR was carried out to explore the aquaporin 3 (AQP3), hyaluronic acid synthetase1 (HAS1), HAS2, and HAS3 genes expression. Immunofluorescence (IF) analysis was used to test the protein level expression of hyaluronic acid (HA), AQP3, claudin-1, and filaggrin (FLG) influenced by moisturizing composition in a reconstructed epidermis skin model. The ability of samples to resist cell drying damage was evaluated by a cell drying damage model. Furthermore, this study validated the effect of the compositions during their application in cosmetics through tests of skin moisture content, crow's feet, and skin elasticity.

RESULTS

The results showed that DOP with molecular weights of 100 k-500 kDa (Dalton) had higher effects on AQP3 gene expression compared to that with molecular weights of 10 k-100 kDa and 1 k-10 kDa. Additionally, the extract of S. crispa significantly promoted the expression of HAS1, HAS2, and HAS3 genes, which are genes encoding hyaluronic acid synthesis. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of HA, AQP3, claudin-1, and FLG were significantly increased as a result of the moisturizing composition consisting of DOP (100 k-500 kDa) and S. crispa. The application of the moisturizing composition markedly increased the skin moisture content, improved eye wrinkles, and enhanced skin elasticity.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, our study proved that D. officinale and S. crispa had good moisturizing effects, and as natural plant humectants, they may have broad applications in future moisturizing cosmetics.

Research progress on the regulatory and pharmacological mechanism of chemical components of Dendrobium

Dendrobium is a precious Chinese herbal medicine, which belongs to the genus Orchidaceae. Ancient records and modern pharmacological research show that Dendrobium has pharmacological effects such as anti-tumor, antioxidant regulating immunity and blood glucose, and anti-aging. Dendrobium contains polysaccharides, alkaloids, bibenzyl, sesquiterpenes, phenanthrene, polyphenols and other types of chemicals. Its pharmacological activity is closely related to these chemical components. For example, dendrobium extracts can achieve anti-tumor effects by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and metastasis, promoting cell apoptosis and ferroptosis, or increasing cell sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. It enhances immunity by regulating immune cell activity or cytokine release. In addition, it can alleviate neurodegenerative diseases by protecting nerve cells from apoptotic damage. In recent years, research reports on biologically active compounds in Dendrobium have shown a blowout growth, which makes us realize that it is meaningful to continuously update the research progress on the components and pharmacological regulatory mechanism of this traditional Chinese medicine. By classifying the collected chemical components according to different chemical structures and summarizing their pharmacological mechanisms, we investigated the current research progress of Dendrobium and provide a more comprehensive scientific foundation for the further development and clinical transformation of Dendrobium in the future.

Dendrobium candidum polysaccharide reduce atopic dermatitis symptoms and modulate gut microbiota in DNFB-induced AD-like mice

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a high prevalence worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. In this study, we sought to verify the effect of Dendrobium candidum polysaccharides (DCP) on AD induced by 2,4-Dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) in Balb/c mice regarding its impact on the intestinal microbiome. We found that 2-week oral administration of DCP improved AD-like symptoms and histological damage of skin, reduced mast cell infiltration, down-regulated the level of serum total IgE and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-6, and increased the expression level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. The beneficial effect of DCP was attributed to the restoration of the intestinal microbiome composition and the unbalance of the intestinal homeostasis. Our results indicated that DCP might be used as a promising novel microbiota-modulating agent for the treatment of AD.

Herb Polysaccharide-Based Drug Delivery System: Fabrication, Properties, and Applications for Immunotherapy

Herb polysaccharides (HPS) have been studied extensively for their healthcare applications. Though the toxicity was not fully clarified, HPS were widely accepted for their biodegradability and biocompatibility. In addition, as carbohydrate polymers with a unique chemical composition, molecular weight, and functional group profile, HPS can be conjugated, cross-linked, and functionally modified. Thus, they are great candidates for the fabrication of drug delivery systems (DDS). HPS-based DDS (HPS-DDS) can bypass phagocytosis by the reticuloendothelial system, prevent the degradation of biomolecules, and increase the bioavailability of small molecules, thus exerting therapeutic effects. In this review, we focus on the application of HPS as components of immunoregulatory DDS. We summarize the principles governing the fabrication of HPS-DDS, including nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes, microemulsions, hydrogels, and microneedles. In addition, we discuss the role of HPS in DDS for immunotherapy. This comprehensive review provides valuable insights that could guide the design of effective HPS-DDS.

Valorization of Polysaccharides From Benincasa hispida: Physicochemical, Moisturizing, and Antioxidant Skincare Properties

Benincasa hispida Cogn. (B. hispida) is a popular vegetable in China, and studies have been reported on B. hispida polysaccharides (BPS) preparation. However, few studies have been reported on its physicochemical and skincare properties. In this study, we analyzed the physicochemical properties of BPS, free radical scavenging capability, moisturizing and antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Our results show that BPS was an inhomogeneous acidic polysaccharide that could scavenge a variety of free radicals. Also, BPS had a good moisturizing and antioxidant capability both in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, BPS could alter some key antioxidant enzyme activities and pro-inflammatory factor levels via activating the NRF2/HO-1 pathway, thereby preventing H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis of HDF-1 cells. Our results suggest that BPS exhibited favorable moisturizing and anti-aging properties and might be an attractive candidate for the development of anti-aging skincare products.