Unravelling the photoprotection properties of garden cress sprout extract

Plants, as with humans, require photoprotection against the potentially damaging effects of overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Previously, sinapoyl malate (SM) was identified as the photoprotective agent in thale cress. Here, we seek to identify the photoprotective agent in a similar plant, garden cress, which is currently used in the skincare product Detoxophane nc. To achieve this, we explore the photodynamics of both the garden cress sprout extract and Detoxophane nc with femtosecond transient electronic absorption spectroscopy. With the assistance of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we determine that the main UV-absorbing compound in garden cress sprout extract is SM. Importantly, our studies reveal that the photoprotection properties of the SM in the garden cress sprout extract present in Detoxophane nc are not compromised by the formulation environment. The result suggests that Detoxophane nc containing the garden cress sprout extract may offer additional photoprotection to the end user in the form of a UV filter booster

Synthetic Strategies to Terpene Quinones/Hydroquinones

The cytotoxic and antiproliferative properties of many natural sesquiterpene-quinones and -hydroquinones from sponges offer promising opportunities for the development of new drugs. A review dealing with different strategies for obtaining bioactive terpenyl quinones/hydroquinones is presented. The different synthetic approches for the preparation of the most relevant quinones/hydroquinones are described

Deciphering the Phytochemical Profile of an Alpine Rose (<i>Rhododendron ferrugineum</i> L.) Leaf Extract for a Better Understanding of Its Senolytic and Skin-Rejuvenation Effects

Rhododendron ferrugineum, commonly named Alpine rose, is an emblematic medicinal plant of European mountains. In this study, the chemical profile of a glycerol/water extract developed from this plant as a cosmetic ingredient is investigated to understand the extract constituent(s) that could mostly contribute to its senolytic activity and skin-rejuvenation effects. For this purpose, the dereplication method “CARAMEL”, which combines Centrifugal Partition Chromatography to Nuclear Magnetic Resonance data interpretation, was directly applied to the hydro-glycerinated extract, leading to the unambiguous identification of fourteen Alpine rose metabolites, despite the strong presence of the heavy solvent glycerol. Flavonoids derived from taxifolin, quercetin, and (+)-catechin were identified as significant constituents of the extract, followed by flavanones, orcinol derivatives, phloroacetophenone, and phenolic acids, as well as the pentacyclic triterpene lupeol. Given that senolytic molecules are known to selectively induce the death of senescent cells without affecting healthy proliferating cells, which can be achieved by the selective inhibition or downregulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, and considering the well-recognized pro-apoptotic activity of hyperoside, taxifolin, naringenin and farrerol, the senolytic activity of the glycerol/water Alpine rose extract can be explained by the abundance of flavonoids present in the extract