Alhagi camelorum seed polysaccharide alleviates methylglyoxal-induced skin damage via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.

Abstract

Alhagi camelorum (AC) is an herbal medicine known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the mechanism by which AC affects skin aging remains unclear. In this study, a polysaccharide with antioxidant activity was extracted from AC seeds (ACSP). The structure of ACSP was characterized by molecular weight determination, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, monosaccharide composition analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and physicochemical analysis. The molecular weight of ACSP was 736,831 Da. ACSP, devoid of a triple-helical conformation, comprised mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, and arabinose at a molar ratio of 39.65:0.85:0.59:11.57:40.25:6.60. The anti-skin-aging activity and potential mechanisms of action of ACSP were investigated in vitro. We observed that ACSP delayed the onset of senescence, promoted cell migration, decreased the expression of DNA damage markers and the production of reactive oxygen species, and increased the mitochondrial membrane potential in damaged cells. ACSP also significantly reduced the expression of the inflammatory mediators interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α in HaCaT cells. In addition, ACSP attenuated the expression of proteins within the IL-17 signaling pathway and suppressed the phosphorylation of JAK2/STAT3/NF-κB proteins, thereby exerting a senescence-delaying effect on MGO-induced HaCaT cells. In conclusion, we elucidated the potential of ACSP in delaying skin aging and offer a novel plant-derived adjuvant to delay aging.