Abstract
The major contributor to skin aging is UV radiation, which activates pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α. TNF-α is involved in the acceleration of skin aging via ROS generation and MMP-1 secretion. In our preliminary study, a 30% EtOH extract from the leaves of Potentilla chinensis (LPCE) significantly inhibited TNF-α-induced ROS generation in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the active components in LPCE. A new flavonol-bis-glucuronide (potentilloside A, 1) and 14 known compounds (2-15) were isolated from an LPCE by repeated chromatography. The chemical structure of the new compound 1 was determined by analyzing its spectroscopic data (NMR and HRMS) and by acidic hydrolysis. Nine flavonols (2-9 and 11) and two flavone glycosides (12 and 13) from P. chinensis were reported for the first time in this study. Next, we evaluated the effects of the isolates (1-15) on TNF-α-induced ROS generation in HDFs. As a result, all compounds significantly inhibited ROS generation. Furthermore, LPCE and potentilloside A (1) remarkably suppressed MMP-1 secretion in HDFs stimulated by TNF-α. The data suggested that LPCE and potentilloside A (1) are worthy of further experiments for their potential as anti-skin aging agents.