Protective effect of porphyra-334 on UVA-induced photoaging in human skin fibroblasts

The significant increase in life expectancy is closely related to the growing interest in the impact of aging on the function and appearance of the skin. Skin aging is influenced by several factors, and solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is considered one of the most important causes of skin photoaging. The aim of this study was to examine the anti-photoaging role of porphyra-334 from Porphyra (P.) yezoensis, a mycosporine-like amino acid (MAA), using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and electrospray ionization‑mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). In the present study, extracted UV‑absorbing compounds from P. yezoensis included palythine, asterina-330 and porphyra-334. Porphyra-334 was the most abundant MAA in P. yezoensis, and it was therefore used for conducting antiphotoaging experiments. The effect of porphyra-334 on the prevention of photoaging was investigated by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels, as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) components and protein expression in UVA‑irradiated human skin fibroblasts. Porphyra-334 suppressed ROS production and the expression of MMPs following UVA irradiation, while increasing levels of ECM components, such as procollagen, type I collagen, elastin. These results suggest that porphyra-334 has various applications in cosmetics and toiletries because of its anti‑photoaging activities and may serve as a novel anti-aging agent.