CHUNCHEON, Korea—According to Korean researchers, dietary and pharmacological interventions with berries rich in ellagic acid may be promising treatment strategies interrupting skin wrinkle and inflammation associated with chronic UV exposure leading to photoaging (Exp Dermatol. 2010;19(8):e182-90). Ellagic acid, a polyphenol commonly found in berries and pomegranate, has received attention as an agent that may have potential bioactivities preventing chronic diseases. As a result, researchers examined the photoprotective effects of ellagic acid on collagen breakdown and inflammatory responses in UVB irradiated human skin cells and hairless mice.
Ellagic acid attenuated the UV-B-induced toxicity of HaCaT keratinocytes and human dermal fibroblasts. Non-toxic ellagic acid markedly prevented collagen degradation by blocking matrix metalloproteinase production in UV-B-exposed fibroblasts. Anti-wrinkle activity of ellagic acid was further investigated in hairless mice exposed to UVB, in which it attenuated UVB-triggered skin wrinkle formation and epidermal thickening. Topical application of 10 mcml/l ellagic acid diminished production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and IL-6, and blocked infiltration of inflammatory macrophages in the integuments of SKH-1 hairless mice exposed to UVB for eight weeks. In addition, this compound mitigated inflammatory intracellular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in UVB-irradiated keratinocytes and photoaged mouse epidermis. Ellagic acid prevented collagen destruction and inflammatory responses caused by UVB.