Protection Against UVB Deleterious Skin Effects in a Mouse Model: Effect of a Topical Emulsion Containing Cordia Verbenacea Extract

Overview

Journal Photochem Photobiol Sci

Publisher Springer

Specialties Biology
Chemistry

Date 2021 Jul 23

PMID 34297334

Citations 2

Authors

Cristina P B Melo

Priscila Saito

David L Vale

Camilla C A Rodrigues

Ingrid C Pinto

Renata M Martinez

Julia R Bezerra

Marcela M Baracat

Waldiceu A Verri Jr

Yris Maria Fonseca-Bazzo

Sandra R Georgetti

Rubia Casagrande

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cordia verbenacea DC (Boraginaceae) is a flowering shrub found along the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Brazilian coast, and low areas of the Amazon. The crude extract of its leaves is widely used in Brazilian folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory, both topically and orally. The aim of this study is to evaluate the activity of C. verbenacea ethanolic leaves extract (CVE) against UVB-triggered cutaneous inflammation and oxidative damage in hairless mice. CVE treatment recovered cutaneous antioxidant capacity demonstrated by scavenging ABTS free radical and iron-reducing antioxidant potential evaluated by FRAP. CVE also controlled the following UV-triggered events in the skin: reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion, catalase activity decrease, and superoxide anion (O) build-up. Furthermore, mice treated with CVE exhibited less inflammation, shown by the reduction in COX-2 expression, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, edema, and neutrophil infiltration. CVE also regulated epidermal thickening and sunburn cells, reduced dermal mast cells, and preserved collagen integrity. The best results were obtained using 5% CVE-added emulsion. The present data demonstrate that topical administration of CVE presents photochemoprotective activity in a mouse model of UVB inflammation and oxidative stress. Because of the intricate network linking inflammation, oxidative stress, and skin cancer, these results also indicate the importance of further studies elucidating a possible role of C. verbenacea in the prevention of UVB-induced skin cancer and evaluating a potential synergy between CVE and sunscreens in topical products against UVB damaging effects to the skin.

Citing Articles

Nano-Based Hydrogel for Cutaneous Sesamol Delivery in UVB-Induced Skin Injury.

Prado V, Moenke K, Pegoraro N, Saccol C, Nogueira-Librelotto D, Rechia G AAPS PharmSciTech. 2025; 26(3):75.

PMID: 40045094 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-025-03071-1.

Investigating the efficacy of topical application of herbal cream in preventing skin damage induced by UVB radiation in a rat model.

Sundar M, Lingakumar K Heliyon. 2023; 9(9):e19161.

PMID: 37662739 PMC: 10472012. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19161.

Aspirin-Triggered Resolvin D1 (AT-RvD1) Protects Mouse Skin against UVB-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.

Melo C, Saito P, Martinez R, Staurengo-Ferrari L, Pinto I, Rodrigues C Molecules. 2023; 28(5).

PMID: 36903662 PMC: 10005614. DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052417.

References

Dutra R, Campos M, Santos A, Calixto J . Medicinal plants in Brazil: Pharmacological studies, drug discovery, challenges and perspectives. Pharmacol Res. 2016; 112:4-29. DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2016.01.021. View

Bayeux M, Fernandes A, Foglio M, Carvalho J . Evaluation of the antiedematogenic activity of artemetin isolated from Cordia curassavica DC. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2002; 35(10):1229-32. DOI: 10.1590/s0100-879x2002001000017. View

Sertie J, Woisky R, Wiezel G, Rodrigues M . Pharmacological assay of Cordia verbenacea V: oral and topical anti-inflammatory activity, analgesic effect and fetus toxicity of a crude leaf extract. Phytomedicine. 2005; 12(5):338-44. DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2003.09.013. View

Kabashima K, Nagamachi M, Honda T, Nishigori C, Miyachi Y, Tokura Y . Prostaglandin E2 is required for ultraviolet B-induced skin inflammation via EP2 and EP4 receptors. Lab Invest. 2006; 87(1):49-55. DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.3700491. View

Lee S, Lee K, Son Y, Shin J, Lee J, Kim H . Transglutaminase 2 mediates UV-induced skin inflammation by enhancing inflammatory cytokine production. Cell Death Dis. 2017; 8(10):e3148. PMC: 5680918. DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.550. View

Fuchs J, Zollner T, Kaufmann R, Podda M . Redox-modulated pathways in inflammatory skin diseases. Free Radic Biol Med. 2001; 30(4):337-53. DOI: 10.1016/s0891-5849(00)00482-2. View

Georgetti S, Casagrande R, Moura-de-Carvalho Vicentini F, Verri Jr W, Fonseca M . Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of soybean extract by different in vitro methods and investigation of this activity after its incorporation in topical formulations. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2006; 64(1):99-106. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2006.04.003. View

Bowden G . Prevention of non-melanoma skin cancer by targeting ultraviolet-B-light signalling. Nat Rev Cancer. 2003; 4(1):23-35. DOI: 10.1038/nrc1253. View

Afaq F, Mukhtar H . Botanical antioxidants in the prevention of photocarcinogenesis and photoaging. Exp Dermatol. 2006; 15(9):678-84. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2006.00466.x. View

10.

Dresler S, Szymczak G, Wojcik M . Comparison of some secondary metabolite content in the seventeen species of the Boraginaceae family. Pharm Biol. 2017; 55(1):691-695. PMC: 6130574. DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2016.1265986. View

11.

Shindo Y, Witt E, Han D, Epstein W, Packer L . Enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants in epidermis and dermis of human skin. J Invest Dermatol. 1994; 102(1):122-4. DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12371744. View

12.

Afaq F, Saleem M, Krueger C, Reed J, Mukhtar H . Anthocyanin- and hydrolyzable tannin-rich pomegranate fruit extract modulates MAPK and NF-kappaB pathways and inhibits skin tumorigenesis in CD-1 mice. Int J Cancer. 2004; 113(3):423-33. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.20587. View

13.

Bhatia N, Demmer T, Sharma A, Elcheva I, Spiegelman V . Role of β-TrCP ubiquitin ligase receptor in UVB mediated responses in skin. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2010; 508(2):178-84. PMC: 3150842. DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2010.12.023. View

14.

Bradley P, Priebat D, Christensen R, ROTHSTEIN G . Measurement of cutaneous inflammation: estimation of neutrophil content with an enzyme marker. J Invest Dermatol. 1982; 78(3):206-9. DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12506462. View

15.

Onoue S, Kobayashi T, Takemoto Y, Sasaki I, Shinkai H . Induction of matrix metalloproteinase-9 secretion from human keratinocytes in culture by ultraviolet B irradiation. J Dermatol Sci. 2003; 33(2):105-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2003.08.002. View

16.

Katalinic V, Modun D, Music I, Boban M . Gender differences in antioxidant capacity of rat tissues determined by 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline 6-sulfonate; ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol. 2005; 140(1):47-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2005.01.005. View

17.

AEBI H . Catalase in vitro. Methods Enzymol. 1984; 105:121-6. DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(84)05016-3. View

18.

Martinez R, Pinho-Ribeiro F, Steffen V, Caviglione C, Vignoli J, Barbosa D . Naringenin Inhibits UVB Irradiation-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in the Skin of Hairless Mice. J Nat Prod. 2015; 78(7):1647-55. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00198. View

19.

Deng Y, Ediriwickrema A, Yang F, Lewis J, Girardi M, Saltzman W . A sunblock based on bioadhesive nanoparticles. Nat Mater. 2015; 14(12):1278-85. PMC: 4654636. DOI: 10.1038/nmat4422. View

20.

Schwarz A, Bhardwaj R, Aragane Y, Mahnke K, Riemann H, Metze D . Ultraviolet-B-induced apoptosis of keratinocytes: evidence for partial involvement of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the formation of sunburn cells. J Invest Dermatol. 1995; 104(6):922-7. DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12606202. View