Biological Effects of Yeast-fermented Plant Root Extract Mixture on Skin Cells

Abstract

Purpose: To verify the biological effects including anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effects, of fermented plant root extract mixtures that were measured <i>in vitro</i>.Method: To select the most effective plant root extract, the effects of DPPH free radical scavenging were measured. The mixture (MC) of selected plant roots was fermented with <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> (<i>S. cerevisiae</i>) (MF). Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was performed on human dermal fibroblast to measure the effects of MC and MF on the mRNA expression of <i>COL1A1</i> and hyaluronic acid synthase 2 (<i>HAS2</i>) and on the anti-inflammatory-related gene expressions such as cyclooxygenase-2 (<i>COX-2</i>), interleukin-6 (<i>IL-6</i>), and tumor-necrosis factor (<i>TNF</i>)-α. Additionally, we also tested the cell renewal and proliferation for skin cell migration. Student's t-test was performed for statistical analysis, and results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation.Results: Among 15 root extracts, those of <i>Taraxacum officinale</i> (<i>T. officinale</i>) rhizome, <i>Arctium lappa</i> (<i>A. lappa</i>), <i>Anemarrhena asphodeloides</i> (<i>A. asphodeloides</i>), <i>Pueraria lobata</i> (<i>P. lobata</i>), and <i>Nelumbo nucifera</i> (<i>N. nucifera</i>) were selected based on the effect of DPPH free radical scavenging. The mRNA expression levels of <i>COL1A1</i> and <i>HAS2</i> were increased by MC and MF in a concentration-dependent manner. MC and MF showed cell renewal and proliferation. Inflammation-related genes were inhibited by MC or MF in a concentration-dependent manner (<i>TNF-α</i>, <i>IL-6</i>, and <i>COX-2</i>). MF showed significantly better efficacy than MC.Conclusion: Mixed root extracts of <i>T. officinale rhizome/root</i>, <i>A. lappa</i>, <i>A. asphodeloides</i>, <i>P. lobata</i>, and <i>N. nucifera</i> fermented with <i>S. cerevisiae</i> enable cell renewal, have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effects, and can be used as an active cosmetic raw materials.