Protective effect of Salvia plebeia R. Br ethanol extract on UVB‐induced skin photoaging in vitro and in vivo

Abstract Background UV exposure is one of the primary factors responsible for photoaging, causing the increase in matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the reduction in collagen. Salvia plebeia R. Br (SP), as an herbaceous plant, contains abundant flavonoids and possesses excellent anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This study aimed to investigate the photoprotective effects of SP on UVB‐induced photodamage in immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaTs) and Kunming mice, as well as its main active components such as homoplantaginin (HP). Methods CCK‐8 was applied to detect the cell viability in UVB‐irradiated or non‐irradiated HaCaTs. Commercial kits were used to evaluate the levels of ROS, MDA, SA‐β‐Gal, MMP‐1, and IL‐6. The expression of MAPK and TGF‐β/Smad pathways was detected by western blot. HE and Masson's trichrome staining were performed to examine the epidermis thickness and collagen degradation of Kunming mice. Results Our results found that SP and HP notably decreased UVB‐induced ROS, MDA, and SA‐β‐Gal production, and inhibited MMP‐1 and IL‐6 secretion by inhibiting the MAPK signaling pathway. In addition, SP and HP significantly promoted type I procollagen synthesis by activation of TGF‐β/Smad pathway. Consistently, the in vivo experiments also indicated that SP and HP had a photoprotective effect, which significantly reversed UVB‐induced epidermis thickness and collagen degradation. Conclusion This study demonstrated that SP effectively could protect skin from UVB‐induced photoaging, while HP acted as the active substance in SP. All these findings provided a new strategy for skin photoaging treatment.