Bilberry extract reduces UVA-induced oxidative stress in HaCaT keratinocytes: a pilot study.

Exposure to UVA radiation is known to cause many adverse biological effects by inducing the stricken cells to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). In recent years the use of botanicals has received considerable interest in the skin protection. Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.

Molecular mechanisms of silybin and 2,3-dehydrosilybin antiradical activity--role of individual hydroxyl groups.

The flavonolignans silybin (1) and 2,3-dehydrosilybin (2) are important natural compounds with multiple biological activities operating at various cell levels. Many of these effects are connected with their radical-scavenging activities. The molecular mechanisms of the antioxidant activity of these compounds and even the functional groups responsible for this activity are not yet well known.

Protective effects of phenolic fraction of blue honeysuckle fruits against UVA-induced damage to human keratinocytes.

In this study, the UVA (photo)protective activity of the phenolic fraction of L. caerulea fruits (PFLC) was assessed in human keratinocytes HaCaT. The keratinocytes were pre- or post-treated with PFLC (1-250 mg/l) and exposed to UVA irradiation (10-30 J/cm(2)).

Mechanism of the antioxidant action of silybin and 2,3-dehydrosilybin flavonolignans: a joint experimental and theoretical study.

Flavonolignans from silymarin, the standardized plant extract obtained from thistle, exhibit various antioxidant activities, which correlate with the other biological and therapeutic properties of that extract. To highlight the mode of action of flavonolignans as free radical scavengers and antioxidants, 10 flavonolignans, selectively methylated at different positions, were tested in vitro for their capacity to scavenge radicals (DPPH and superoxide) and to inhibit the lipid peroxidation induced on microsome membranes. The results are rationalized on the basis of (i) the oxidation potentials experimentally obtained by cyclic voltammetry and (ii) the theoretical redox properties obtained by quantum-chemical calculations (using a polarizable continuum model (PCM)-density functional theory (DFT) approach) of the ionization potentials and the O-H bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) of each OH group of the 10 compounds.

Flavonolignans from Silybum marianum moderate UVA-induced oxidative damage to HaCaT keratinocytes.

Background: UV radiation from sunlight is a very potent environmental risk factor in the pathogenesis of skin cancer. Exposure to UV light, especially the UVA part, provokes the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induce oxidative stress in exposed cells. Topical application of antioxidants is a successful strategy for protecting the skin against UV-caused oxidative damage.