Protective Effect of Fucoxanthin against UVB-Induced Skin Photoaging in Hairless Mice

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry Vol. 75; no. 4; pp. 757 - 760
• Main Authors: URIKURA, Itaru, SUGAWARA, Tatsuya, HIRATA, Takashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry 2011; Japan Society for Bioscience Biotechnology and Agrochemistry; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Administration, Topical; angiogenesis; Animals; antioxidants; Biological and medical sciences; biotechnology; carotenoids; Female; fucoxanthin; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation - radiation effects; hypertrophy; irradiation; Mice; Mice, Hairless; photoaging; protective effect; Skin Aging - drug effects; Skin Aging - genetics; Skin Aging - radiation effects; Ultraviolet Rays - adverse effects; UV-irradiation; wrinkling; Xanthophylls - administration & dosage; Xanthophylls - pharmacology; Angiogenesis; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Ultraviolet irradiation; Mouse; UV-irradiation; Rodentia; Skin; fucoxanthin; Protection; wrinkling; photoaging
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1271/bbb.110040

Fucoxanthin, a major carotenoid in brown algae, has various beneficial effects. In this study, we evaluated the effect of topical fucoxanthin on UVB-induced skin photoaging in hairless mice. The dorsal skins were treated topically with a 0.001% fucoxanthin solution 2 h each time before UVB irradiation (5 times a week) for 10 weeks. The formation of wrinkles in UVB-irradiated skin treated with vehicle alone significantly increased, as compared with the non-irradiated control. Treatment with fucoxanthin tended to suppress UVB-induced wrinkle formation, but there was no significant difference between wrinkle formation in the control group and the fucoxanthin treatment group. However, topical treatment with fucoxanthin significantly lessened UVB-induced epidermal hypertrophy, VEGF, and MMP-13 expression in the epidermis and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the skin. These results indicate that topical treatment with fucoxanthin prevents skin photoaging in UVB-irradiated hairless mice, possibly via antioxidant and antiangiogenic effects.