Protective effects of Prunus persica flesh extract (PPFE) on UV-induced oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinases expression in human skin cells

In our continuous efforts to procure the active materials from natural products in the protective effects of oxidative stress or UV damage to skin cells we found the Prunus persica flesh extract (PPFE) is considerable to meet the demand to protect the skin damage. PPFE attenuated cell damage induced by hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase in cultured human keratinocytes, indicating that PPFE has the potential of the scavenging effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human skin cell. Moreover, PPFE significantly suppressed UVA-induced ROS production determined by the oxidation of 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH) using FACS analysis. Additional study revealed that UVA irradiation of HaCaT human keratinocytes increased the gelatinolytic activities of matrix metalloproteinase-2, and -9 (MMP-2, -9) and mRNA expression of MMP-9 analyzing by a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and these events were significantly suppressed by the treatment with PPFE. These results suggest that PPFE might be applicable as natural ingredients for skin antiaging agents via UV-induced ROS scavenging activity and suppression of MMP expression in the skin cells.