Propolis Extracts Inhibit UV-Induced Photodamage in Human Experimental In Vitro Skin Models
Athanasios Karapetsas,
Georgia-Persephoni Voulgaridou,
Manolis Konialis,
Ilias Tsochantaridis,
Spyridon Kynigopoulos,
Maria Lambropoulou,
Maria-Ioanna Stavropoulou,
Konstantina Stathopoulou,
Nektarios Aligiannis,
Petros Bozidis,
Anna Goussia,
Konstantinos Gardikis,
Mihalis I. Panayiotidis,
Aglaia Pappa
Affiliations
Athanasios Karapetsas
Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Georgia-Persephoni Voulgaridou
Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Manolis Konialis
Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Ilias Tsochantaridis
Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Spyridon Kynigopoulos
Laboratory of Histology & Embryology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Maria Lambropoulou
Laboratory of Histology & Embryology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Maria-Ioanna Stavropoulou
Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmocognosy & Natural Products Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
Konstantina Stathopoulou
Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmocognosy & Natural Products Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
Nektarios Aligiannis
Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmocognosy & Natural Products Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
Petros Bozidis
Department of Pathology, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Anna Goussia
Department of Pathology, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Konstantinos Gardikis
APIVITA SA, Industrial Park, Markopoulo, 19003 Athens, Greece
Mihalis I. Panayiotidis
Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Aglaia Pappa
Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
The aim of this study was to assess the antioxidant, photoprotective, and antiaging effects of Greek propolis. Propolis was subjected to n-heptane or methanol extraction. Total phenolic/flavonoid content and antioxidant potential were determined in the extracts. Promising extracts were evaluated for their cytoprotective properties using human immortalized keratinocyte (HaCaT) or reconstituted human skin tissue following exposure to UVB. Assessment of cytotoxicity, DNA damage, oxidative status, and gene/protein expression levels of various matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were performed. The propolis methanolic fractions exhibited higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents and significant in vitro antioxidant activity. Incubation of HaCaT cells with certain methanolic extracts significantly decreased the formation of DNA strand breaks following exposure to UVB and attenuated UVB-induced decrease in cell viability. The extracts had no remarkable effect on the total antioxidant status, but significantly lowered total protein carbonyl content used as a marker for protein oxidation in HaCaT cells. MMP-1, -3, -7, and -9, monitored as endpoints of antiaging efficacy, were significantly reduced by propolis following UVB exposure in a model of reconstituted skin tissue. In conclusion, propolis protects against the oxidative and photodamaging effects of UVB and could be further explored as a promising agent for developing natural antiaging strategies.
