The effects that ultraviolet rays elicit on collagen synthesis and degradation are the most common causes of wrinkle formation and photo-aging in skin. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of Angelica acutiloba root ethanol extract (AAEE) to promote collagen synthesis and inhibit collagen degradation in human dermal fibroblasts. By examining total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, electron donating ability, radical scavenging activity, and superoxide dismutase-like activity, we found that AAEE exhibited fairly good antioxidant activity. Treatment with AAEE significantly increased type I procollagen production by cultured fibroblasts, as well as reduced ultraviolet-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression and MMP-2 activity in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). In addition, AAEE significantly increased TIMP-1 mRNA expression (p < 0.05), although without an associated dose-dependent increase in TIMP-1 protein expression. In summary, we suggest that AAEE may be a potentially effective agent for the prevention or alleviation of skin-wrinkle formation induced by ultraviolet rays.

We evaluated the antioxidant activity and anti-wrinkle effects of Aceriphyllum rossii leaf ethanol extract (ARLEE) in vitro using human dermal fibroblasts. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of ARLEE were 578.6 and 206.3 mg/g, respectively. At a concentration of 250 μg/mL, the electron-donating ability of ARLEE was 87.1%. In comparison with the vehicle, ARLEE treatment at 100 μg/mL significantly increased type I procollagen synthesis (p < 0.01) by 50.7%. In vitro ARLEE treatment (10 mg/mL) inhibited collagenase and elastase activity by 97.1% and 99.2%, respectively. Compared with the control, ascorbic acid treatment at 100 μg/mL significantly decreased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 protein expression (p < 0.01) by 37.0%. ARLEE treatment at 50 μg/mL significantly decreased MMP-1 protein expression (p < 0.01) by 46.1%. Ascorbic acid and ARLEE treatments at 100 μg/mL significantly decreased MMP-1 mRNA expression (p < 0.01) by 26.1% and 36.1%, respectively. From these results, we conclude that ARLEE has excellent antioxidant activity and even better anti-wrinkle effects than ascorbic acid in human dermal fibroblasts. These results suggest that ARLEE could be used in functional cosmetics for the prevention or alleviation of skin wrinkles induced by ultraviolet rays.