Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Astringent Activities and Skin Barrier Enhancement Effects of Cynomorium songaricum Extract

The present study investigates the effects of two extracts from Cynomorium songaricum (CS) on the skin barrier enhancement and astringent activity. Although the effects of CS have been reported in various diseases including cancer, diabetes and inflammatory diseases, the skin protective effects of CS are poorly understood. To test the skin protection abilities, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities including radical scavenging activity, polyphenol contents measurement, nitric oxide (NO) production, iNOS protein level and IL-6 cytokine were tested. The C. songaricum methanol extract (CSM) showed potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The CSM also enhanced the astringent activity in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the anti-wrinkle activities were tested using elastase inhibition rate, MMP-1, and AQP-3 protein expressions. Furthermore, the mRNA level of filaggrin, loricrin, and involucrin was significantly increased in the CSM treated cells, as compared with the TNF-α treated cells. Therefore, C. songaricum may be a potent source for cosmetics or treating inflammatory skin diseases.