Compounds present in grapes protect human skin cells from the harmful effects of UV rays emitted by the sun, according to a Spanish study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
According to the authors of the study, this indicates that the grapes or their ingredients could be used in the production of photo-protective cosmetics for the skin.
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by the sun causes burns and inflammation of the skin, causes premature aging, and is a major risk factor for developing a malignant skin cancer, such as melanoma.
This harmful effect is due to the fact that UV rays stimulate the formation of oxygen free radicals in the skin – very active particles that easily react with valuable cell components (such as lipids in cell membranes or DNA) and damage them. Free radicals also cause the development of inflammation, which stimulates the activity of enzymes, including JNK kinases and p38MAPK kinases – involved in suicidal cell death, the so-called apoptosis.
Scientists from the University of Barcelona and the Spanish National Scientific Council (CSIC) have shown in laboratory studies that certain fractions of polyphenols present in grapes reduce the formation of free radicals in cells from the human epidermis exposed to UVA (UV radiation with longer wavelengths) and UVB (with shorter wavelengths). waves).
Polyphenols with photo-protective properties belonged to the flavonoids, which usually act as plant pigments and accumulate in the greatest amounts in the surface layers of plant tissues, e.g. in fruit peel.
– Certain flavonoid fractions inhibit the formation of free radicals in the skin and prevent the activation of JNK and p38 enzymes, and as a result protect against the effects of UV rays emitted by the sun – comments Marta Cascante, a biochemist at the University of Barcelona, who leads the study.
According to the researcher, the work of her team suggests that extracts of plant polyphenols (including grape) should be used in pharmacology to develop new preparations to protect the skin against damage caused by solar radiation (PAP).