Abstract:The anti-photoaging efficacy of a prescription comprising silkworm pupa peptides, sodium hyaluronate, and Polygala tenuifolia extract was evaluated in this study. A mouse model of photoaging was established, and normal, model, positive control, and treatment group were set up at three dosage levels. Key assessments included the severity of skin damage, histopathological changes, water content, antioxidant enzyme activity, oxidative stress markers, glutathione (GSH) levels, and mitochondrial membrane potential in HFF-1 cells. The results revealed that the prescription alleviated structural damage caused by photoaging, inhibited epidermal and dermal thickening, reduced water and collagen loss, and promoted increases in antioxidant enzyme activities, whilst suppressing oxidative stress markers. In response to treatments with the prescription at medium and high doses, there were significant increases in GSH content in the model group from 2.30 mg/g to 3.63 and 4.17 mg/g, respectively, and there were corresponding elevations in mitochondrial membrane potential from 50.33% to 61.33% and 94.00%. These findings indicate that at certain dosage concentrations, the prescription can alleviate oxidative stress caused by photoaging and has dose-dependent anti-photoaging effects. The findings of this study provide an important theoretical basis for application of silkworm pupa peptide prescriptions in preventing the photodamage of skin caused by ultraviolet irradiation, as well as an important research basis for the development of related “skin-friendly” health products. Moreover, this prescription has considerable potential for further research and development.
