Trung Quang Nguyen 1 , Thinh Van Pham 2 , Yusuf Andriana 3 and Minh Ngoc Truong 4,5,*

1 Institute of Environmental Science and Public Health, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

2 Faculty of Tourism and Culinary, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

3 Research Center for Appropriate Technology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Subang 41213, Indonesia; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

4 Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

5 Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

* Correspondence: 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

Academic Editor: Shige Wang

Received: 9 December 2024

Revised: 23 December 2024

Accepted: 25 December 2024

Published: 3 January 2025

Citation: Nguyen, T.Q.; Van Pham, T.;Andriana, Y.; Truong, M.N. Cordyceps militaris-Derived Bioactive Gels: Therapeutic and Anti-Aging Applications in Dermatology. Gels

2025, 11, 33. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/gels11010033

Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license

(https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/)

Abstract: Cordyceps militaris is a medicinal mushroom widely utilized in traditional East Asian medicine, recognized for its diverse therapeutic properties. This review explores the potential of C. militaris-derived bioactive gels for applications in dermatology and skincare, with a particular focus on their therapeutic and anti-aging benefits. In response to the rising incidence of skin cancers and the growing demand for natural bioactive ingredients, C. militaris has emerged as a valuable source of functional compounds, including cordycepin, polysaccharides, and adenosine. These compounds exhibit multiple bioactivities, including apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and anti-inflammatory effects, which have been shown to be particularly effective against melanoma and other skin cancers. Additionally, the antioxidant properties of C. militaris enhance skin resilience by scavenging reactive oxygen species, reducing oxidative stress, and promoting collagen synthesis, thereby addressing skin health and anti-aging requirements. The potential for incorporating C. militaris compounds into gel-based formulations for skincare is also examined, either as standalone bioactives or in combination with synergistic ingredients. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of clinical trials and standardization to establish the safety, efficacy, and reproducibility of such applications. By providing a safer alternative to synthetic agents, C. militaris-derived bioactive gels represent a promising advancement indermatology and skincare.

Keywords: anti-aging; bioactive compounds; Cordyceps militaris; dermatology; skincare; therapeutic properties

Kaori Kobayashi 1 , Md Suzauddula 1 , Ryan Bender 1 , Cheng Li 2 , Yonghui Li 2,* , Xiuzhi Susan Sun 3,† and Weiqun Wang 1,*

1 Department of Food Nutrition Dietetics and Health, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (K.K.); 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (M.S.); 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (R.B.)

2 Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

3 Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 or 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 * Correspondence: 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (Y.L.); 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (W.W.) † Current address: Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA

Abstract: This review examines existing studies on wheat bran extracts (WBEs) to provide an overview of their functional properties, including antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitory activities, highlighting their potential as natural alternatives for applications in both the food and cosmetic industries. Despite variations in extraction techniques, WBEs consistently demonstrated a significant presence of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. In the food industry, WBEs are valued for their nutritional richness, including dietary fiber, proteins, and bioactive compounds such as arabinoxylans. These compounds improve food texture, stability, and baking properties. Additionally, WBEs have demonstrated antimicrobial potential, enhanced product quality, and serve as natural preservatives. Furthermore, WBEs exhibit significant inhibitory effects against collagenase and elastase, suggesting promising anti-aging potential. In the cosmetics sector, WBEs have gained attention due to their emulsion stability, skin-whitening properties, antimicrobial effects, and antioxidant capacities. They have the potential to enhance the stability of cosmetic emulsions, improve skin hydration, and inhibit enzymes linked to skin aging, positioning WBEs as potentially natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients in skincare and anti-aging products. Our recent pilot study also supports that WBEs enhance antioxidant defenses against oxidative stress in rats, highlighting their potential role in anti-aging interventions. To further elucidate the efficacy and bioavailability of the beneficial bioactive compounds in WBEs for both food and cosmetic applications, more comprehensive in vivo studies are required in the future.

Keywords: wheat bran extracts; antioxidants; enzyme inhibition; anti-aging compounds; food application; cosmetic application; bioactive compounds; functional properties

Academic Editor: Ana Teresa Sanches-Silva

Received: 9 December 2024

Revised: 13 January 2025

Accepted: 18 January 2025

Published: 5 February 2025

Citation: Kobayashi, K.; Suzauddula, M.; Bender, R.; Li, C.; Li, Y.; Sun, X.S.; Wang, W. Functional Properties and Potential Applications of Wheat Bran Extracts in Food and Cosmetics: A Review of Antioxidant, EnzymeInhibitory, and Anti-Aging Benefits. 

Foods 2025, 14, 515. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/foods14030515

Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).

Peng Shu1,3,4,* , Jiaxin Mo2,*, Zunjiang Li2 , Mingjie Li3 , Wei Zhu2,5, Zhiyun Du1,4

1 State Key Laboratory Basis of Xinjiang Indigenous Medicinal Plants Resource Utilization, CAS Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Plant Resources in Arid Regions, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, P.R. China

2 The Second Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, P.R. China

3 HBN Research Institute and Biological Laboratory, Shenzhen Hujia Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong, P.R. China

4 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China

5 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, P.R. China *Co-first author

Correspondence to: Wei Zhu, Zhiyun Du; email: 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1165-634X; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

Keywords: retinol, ferulic acid, cooperative photoprotection, skin aging, oxidative stress

Received: September 6, 2023

Accepted: February 20, 2024

Published: April 18, 2024

Copyright: © 2024 Shu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Sang Gyu Lee 1 , Ngoc Ha Nguyen 2 , Young In Lee 1,3 , Inhee Jung 4 , In Ah Kim 4 , Hyunsook Jang 5 , Hoyeon Shin 5 and Ju Hee Lee 1,3,*

1 Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (S.G.L.); 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (Y.I.L.)

2 Department of Dermatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City 17000, Vietnam; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

3 Scar Laser and Plastic Surgery Center, Yonsei Cancer Hospital, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea

4 Global Medical Research Center Co., Ltd., Seoul 06526, Republic of Korea; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (I.J.); 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (I.A.K.)

5 Lotte R&D Center, Seoul 07594, Republic of Korea; 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (H.J.); 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。 (H.S.)

* Correspondence: 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。; Tel.: +82-2-2228-2080; Fax: +82-2-393-6947

Abstract: Skin aging is driven by a combination of internal and external mechanisms, with ultraviolet (UV) radiation being a prominent external factor contributing to photoaging. Photoaging manifests through several signs, including decreased skin hydration, diminished elasticity, coarse wrinkles, and dyspigmentation. Cacao beans, known for their flavonoids and polyphenols, offer potential anti-aging benefits. To explore this, we conducted a study using both in vitro experiments and clinical trials. Our results demonstrated that cacao powder significantly improved skin hydration and moisture retention in both experimental settings. Specifically, in UVB-damaged human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and H2O2 -treated keratinocytes (KCs), cacao powder displayed notable antioxidant properties. Furthermore, cacao powder enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes and promoted the production of hyaluronic acid in KCs, contributing to better skin hydration. It also effectively inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1, an enzyme associated with wrinkle formation, and stimulated collagen synthesis in HDFs. Clinical trials conducted on participants with aged skin revealed a significant improvement in skin hydration and a reduction in skin wrinkles after 12 weeks of cacao powder consumption, supporting the in vitro findings. These results suggest that cacao powder holds promise as a natural ingredient for improving skin hydration and reducing wrinkles, underscoring its potential in anti-aging skincare.

Keywords: cacao powder; skin moisture; skin senescence; wrinkles

Citation: Lee, S.G.; Nguyen, N.H.; Lee, Y.I.; Jung, I.; Kim, I.A.; Jang, H.; Shin, H.; Lee, J.H. The Role of Cacao Powder in Enhancing Skin Moisture and Reducing Wrinkles: A 12-Week Clinical Trial and In Vitro Study. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46, 12574–12587.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ cimb46110746

Academic Editor: Madhav Bhatia

Received: 29 September 2024

Revised: 2 November 2024

Accepted: 4 November 2024

Published: 6 November 2024

Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).