Protective effect of ethanolic strawberry extract on humandermal cells exposed to oxidative insult

A major cause of skin ageing is the UV mediated formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that interact with proteins, lipids and DNA, thus altering cellular functions. The increased generation of ROS can overwhelm the skin’s natural defences against oxidative stress. Therefore treatment of the skin with products containing plant-derived antioxidant ingredients may be a useful strategy for the prevention of UV-mediated cutaneous damage. Moreover, botanical agents, mainly vitamins and polyphenols, have shown to influence signal transduction pathways leading to photoprotective effects. In fact, antioxidants present a positive effect on skin’s recovery from UV-induced DNAdamage In the present study we investigated the in-vitro capability of an ethanolic strawberry extract (containing a significant level of vitamin C, together with lower amounts of polyphenols such as flavonoids and phenolic acids), to protect human dermal cells from oxidative damage generated by hydrogen peroxide and AAPH as well as UV radiation. In particular, by using the alkaline comet assay we evaluated the DNA damage induced by increasing doses of oxidants and the protective effect of strawberry extract