-Rheum undulatum L. has been commonly used as a cure for hematemesis, dropsy, and haematuria in the Oriental medicine for a long time. The main constituents of R. undulatum are chrysophanol and emodin, which are an antioxidative substance that has an anthraquinone structure. In the present study, to develop a new anti-aging agent, we examined the antioxidant activity and the inhibitory effect of the R. undulatum extract on the synthesis of MMP-1 in UVA-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts and MMP-1 activity. The R. undulatum extract was found to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and superoxide radicals in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system by a dose-dependent manner, respectively. UVA-induced MMP-1 expression was reduced about 79.5% by 1 μg/ml of the R. undulatum extract and also inhibited MMP-1 activity in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, it was observed that the R. undulatum extract has the antioxidant activity, regulation of UVA-induced MMP-1 production, and inhibition of MMP-1 activity. Therefore, these results suggest that the R. undulatum extract can be developed as a new anti-aging component of cosmetics.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are reactive and potentially harmful to cells, causing oxidation of lipids, proteins, and DNA. In humans, the deleterious effects of ROS have been linked with aging, carcinogenesis, and atherosclerosis. In order to investigate an antioxidant activity of wood vinegar by bioconversion, we preferentially analyzed the total acidity, acetic acid, pH, and contents of total polyphenols and flavonoids, respectively. Also, we evaluated the scavenging abilities on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, superoxide anion radicals, hydrogen peroxide radicals, and nitric oxide radicals. The total acidity and amount of acetic acid of wood vinegar after bioconversion were lower than those of wood vinegar before bioconversion, but the pH was higher than that of wood vinegar before bioconversion. The contents of total polyphenols and flavonoids of wood vinegar after bioconversion were 11.17 ㎎/㎖ and 0.42 ㎎/㎖, respectively. The SC50 values were in order of superoxide anion radical scavenging activity < DPPH radical scavenging activity < hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging activity < nitric oxide radical scavenging activity. Therefore, these results suggest that wood vinegar by bioconversion can be useful as primary antioxidants for medicines and cosmetics.