Abstract
BACKGROUND: Skin repair and anti-aging have long been central themes in dermatological and cosmetic science. Rooted in thousands of years of empirical knowledge, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) literature contains systematic records of medicinal plants, many of which have been historically applied to improve skin health. OBJECTIVE: Based on the theoretical framework of the Five Elements, this study formulated a specific combination consisting of five chromatically representative medicinal plants-mung bean (green), white truffle (white), black truffle (black), chrysanthemum (yellow), and Lycium barbarum (red)-to investigate their potential synergistic anti-aging and skin regenerative effects. METHODS: The five-colored plants combination was analyzed by network pharmacology, followed by a scratch test of human fibroblasts, β-galactosidase staining, and ex vivo skin model. RESULTS: The network pharmacological analysis identified 27 core components and 636 targets, including CBS, CDK5, and AKR1B10, which are involved in skin anti-aging and repair. In vitro experiments indicated that at 0.5% concentration, the five-colored plant combination achieved a fibroblast wound healing rate of 59.89% after 24 hours, compared to the negative control group, which was 22.83% higher than that of individual raw materials. In the β-galactosidase staining of human fibroblasts, the blue-stained area in the experimental group was 0.777%, representing a 76.32% reduction compared to the negative control. In the in vitro skin model, treatment with the five-colored plant combination significantly increased the thickness of the epidermal living cell layer, collagen fiber content, and type IV collagen content, with respective increases of 28.16%, 49.12%, and 100.00%. Histological analysis revealed a significant increase in epidermal thickness and a more pronounced the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) ridge structure. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the five-colored plant combination consisting of mung bean, white truffle, black truffle, chrysanthemum, and Lycium barbarum can repair the skin and delay aging.