Protective effects of Passiflora edulis Sims peel fermentation polysaccharide against UVB-induced photodamage via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities

Abstract

Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is the primary cause of photodamage to the skin, triggering the oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired barrier integrity. We extracted polysaccharides from Passiflora edulis Sims peel via microbial fermentation (PP-FP) and characterized their structural properties using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and molecular weight analyses. Photoprotective effects were evaluated in UVB- irradiated HaCaT cells and BALB/c mice dorsal skin by measuring of oxidative stress markers, mitochondrial function, DNA damage, and skin barrier proteins. PP-FP contains a furanose ring structure, exhibits an irregular, loosely layered morphology with attached filamentous and porous structures, and shows a number-average molecular weight (Mn) of 3.519 kDa and a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 6.66 kDa. In UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells, PP-FP (500 µg/mL) significantly enhanced cell migration capacity (achieving 79.39% wound closure at 48 h), reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, alleviated mitochondrial membrane potential aberrations, and decreased interleukin-17 (IL-17) release by 63%. Concurrently, it markedly elevated key skin barrier protein levels in HaCaT cells, notably enhancing filaggrin (FLG, 1.82-fold) and lamellar oligomerizing protein (LOR, 2.04-fold) expression. Furthermore, PP-FP maintained epidermal thickness, suppressed formation of DNA damage marker γ-H2AX, downregulated matrix metalloproteinase-3/9 (MMP3/9) expression by 40–50%, and effectively preserving epidermal barrier function. This study demonstrates that fermentation-derived Passiflora edulis Sims polysaccharides mitigate UVB damage through a dual mechanisms—antioxidant protection and barrier reinforcement—providing a sustainable strategy to repurpose agricultural byproducts for high-efficacy skincare formulations.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Passiflora edulis Sims peel / Fermented polysaccharides / UVB photoprotection / Skin barrier / Oxidative stress

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