Antioxidant and anti-wrinkle effects of Orostachys japonicus extracts as anti-aging cosmetic agents

Background: Orostachys japonicus has traditionally been used for antifever, anti-inflammation, and anticancer. O. japonicus has not yet been studied for cosmetic effects. Objectives: In this study, O. japonicus extracts were investigated to verify the possibility of them as anti-aging cosmetic agents. Materials and Methods: O. japonicus were used to prepare experimental extracts using 90% methanol (MeOH) or ethanol (EtOH) as solvent. Safety and efficacy tests applied in this work are as follows: Folin-Denis' method for total phenolic contents, liquid chromatography for component analysis, 3-[4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl]-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl) -2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay for cytotoxicity, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay for antioxidant activity, biochemical inhibition assays of elastase activity, collagenase activity, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-3 mRNA expression), and MMP-1 protein production for anti-wrinkle activity, and tyrosinase activity inhibition assay for whitening activity. Results: This research revealed that O. japonicus extracts contained various flavonoids, showed no adverse cytotoxicity up to 300 or 500 mu g/mL in HS68 and B16F10, exhibited significant antioxidant activity, exerted remarkable anti-wrinkle activity, and represented useful whitening activity. Conclusion: This study suggested that O. japonicus extracts could be utilized to develop anti-aging cosmetic agents exerting useful whitening activity as well as excellent antioxidant and anti-wrinkle activities.