Table 1.
Marine-sourced bioactive compounds with applications in cosmetics.
| Compound Class | Compound | Findings | Bioactivity | Phylum | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mycosporin-like amino acids (MAAs) | Porphyra-334 | A cream containing both Porphyra-334 and Shinorine (Helioguard 365®, Aqua (and) Lecithin (and) Alcohol (and) Sodium Lactate (and) Porphyra Umbilicalis (and) Phenoxyethanol, Mibelle AG Biochemistry, Germany) improved keratinocytes cell viability and diminished DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner upon UVA irradiation in vitro. Human studies revealed that Helioguard 365® reduced lipid perioxidation by 35% in a single application and, after a 4-week application, skin firmness and smoothness improved by 10% and wrinkle depth was reduced by 20%. Helioguard 365® also presented in vitro anti-inflammatory activity by promoting or inhibiting anti- and pro-inflammatory mediators. |
Photoprotective, anti-aging, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. | Rhodophyta | [44,45] |
| Shinorine | |||||
| Palythine | Palythine at 10% presented an in vitro SPF of 17.9. In vitro, it was shown to inhibit solar radiation-induced cell death of keratinocytes and DNA damage. Solar radiation-induced oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory gene expression were also reduced in vitro. A cream containing palythine (Helinori®, Water (and) Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract, Gelyma, France) prevented the formation of sunburn cells by 94% after three days of application, and protected fibroblasts and keratinocytes from UVA-induced oxidative stress in vitro. |
[46,47] | |||
| Mycosporine-glycine | Suppressed the expression of UV-induced age-related genes and inflammation-related genes in vitro. Reduced radiation-induced oxidative stress in vitro. Presented, in vitro, wound healing in keratinocytes. Inhibited lipid peroxidase in a dose-dependent manner in vitro, with moderate activity at 30 µM. |
Rhodophyta Chlrophyta Chordata Ascomycota Cyanobacteria |
[45,47,48,49] | ||
| Mycosporine-2-glycine | Reduced inflammation in keratinocytes upon irradiation in vitro. Presented antioxidant activity similar to ascorbic acid, in vitro and in vivo. Higher free radical scavenging activity than Trolox, determined by ABTS assay. Was shown in vitro to protect against oxidative stress-induced DNA damage. |
Cyanobacteria | [45,50,51,52,53] | ||
| 13-O-β-galactosyl-Porphyra | Presented high protection for keratinocytes against UVA and UVB in vitro. | Photoprotective | [2,54] | ||
| Collemin A | Provided protection for keratinocytes against UVA and UVB in vitro. Prevented complete formation of erythema, in humans, when applied 15 min prior to irradiation at a concentration of 6 µg/cm2 in vivo. |
Ascomycota | [2,55] | ||
| Polyssacharides | Alginates | Alginates present applications as gelling agents in cosmetics. Hydrogel formation, promoting wound healing. |
Gelling agent, wound healing | Ochrophyta | [56,57] |
| Chitin | Skin humectant and rejuvenant with many commercialized applications. | Moisturizers | Arthopoda | [56,58,59,60] | |
| Chitosan | Arthopoda Zygomycota Chlorophyta |
||||
| Fucoidan | Promotes fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition in vitro. Protects the elastic fiber network of the skin in vitro. Was shown in vitro to regulate MPPs’ activity and secretion. Inhibited tyrosinase activity and presented anti-melanogenesis activity in an in vitro B16 model. |
Anti-aging, whitening, and wound healing. | Chlorophyta Rhodophyta Phaeophyta | [44,61,62] | |
| Carrageenan | Shown to scavenge free radicals and reduce DPPH levels in vitro. Provides photoprotection by diminishing ROS levels in UVB-irradiated keratinocytes in vitro. Injections of carrageenan resulted in removal of dermal melanin in guinea pigs. Applications as viscosifier and binder in toothpastes. Facilitates and improves water absorption by the skin. |
Antioxidant, anti-photoaging, and whitening. |
Rhodophyta | [63,64] | |
| Hyaluronic acid | Forms a film in the stratum corneum that not only protects the skin but also prevents transepidermal water loss and moisturizes the epidermis. Vastly present in many commercialized formulations. |
Skin rejuvenant, wound healing, and anti-aging. | Gyrista | [56] | |
| Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide fraction 2 (GLP-2) | Promotes keratinocytes proliferation during in vitro wound healing assays. | Wound healing | Rhodophyta | [62,65] | |
| Laminarin | Presents high DPPH scavenging activity and potent ROS absorbance capacity in vitro. Protects against UVB damage by regulating MMP activity in vivo. |
Antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-photoaging. | Ochrophyta | [61,66] | |
| Carotenoids | β-carotene | Delays skin aging by reducing the expression of MMP and, consequently, extracellular matrix degradation, in vitro, upon irradiation or when not irradiated. Protects against UVA damage in vitro. |
Anti-aging, antioxidant, and photoprotective. | Chlorophyta Tracheophyta Cyanobacteria Mollusca Arthropoda Echinodermata Euryarchaeota |
[67] |
| Astaxanthin | Very strong antioxidant activity. Reduced the production of melanin in vitro. |
Antioxidant, anti-photoaging, and whitening. | Chlorophyta Pseudomonadota | [27,68,69] | |
| Fucoxanthin | Strong antioxidant activity and protective effect against oxidative stress in vitro using Vero cells. Significantly reduced UV-induced DNA damage in vitro. Presented in vivo antioxidant activity, translated in the decrease of lipid peroxidation. |
Antioxidant and photoprotective. | Ochrophyta | [27,70,71] | |
| Zeaxanthin | Presented activity against UVB-induced skin damage in vivo. Inhibits tyrosinase in vitro. |
Antioxidant, photoprotective, and whitening. | [71,72] | ||
| Polyphenols | Dieckol | Shown to promote hair growth in mice in vivo. Inhibits hyaluronidase in vitro. |
Hair growth and anti-aging. | [73,74] | |
| Phlorotannins | Protected HaCat from UV-induced apoptosis in vitro. Inhibitors of tyrosinase and hyaluronidase in vitro. |
Whitening, anti-aging, and photoprotective. | [74,75] | ||
| Sargachromanol E | Inhibition of MMPs after UV irradiation of dermal fibroblasts in vitro. Anti-melanogenic activity in vitro. |
Anti-photoaging and whitening. | [76] | ||
| Fatty Acids | Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids | With dietary consumption of these fatty acids, the production of proinflammatory eicosanoids is decreased upon UV irradiation. Suppress UV-induced keratinocyte damage in vitro. Shown to reduce erythema and polymorphic light eruption in humans when taken orally. Accelerated wound healing in vivo when administered by IV in rats. |
Anti-photoaging, anti-aging, and wound healing. | Chordata | [77] |
| Docosahexaenoic acid | Increased photoprotection by increasing resistance to UV-induced apoptosis and reducing proinflammatory mediators in human keratinocytes in vitro. Prevents UV-induced photoaging by reducing MMPs in vitro. Reduced erythema and proinflammatory factors in mouse skin upon irradiation in vivo. Decreased erythema in human skin in vivo. Accelerated wound healing in mice by modulating inflammation in vivo. |
Anti-photoaging, anti-aging, and wound healing. | [77,78,79] | ||
| Eicosapentaenoic acid | Reduced inflammation mediators upon irradiation in keratinocytes and fibroblasts in vitro. Modulated MMPs’ expression in dermal fibroblasts upon irradiation in vitro. Oral administration suppressed ear edema upon irradiation in mice in vivo. Prevents skin moisture loss. |
Anti-photoaging, anti-aging, photoprotective, and moisturizer. | [76,79,80,81] | ||
| Linoleic Acid | When administered orally or topically, reduced UV-induced skin erythema in hairless mice in vivo. Improved wound healing when applied topically by reducing the thickness of the necrotic cell layer in vivo. |
Anti-photoaging, photoprotective, anti-aging, and wound healing. | [77] | ||
| α-Linoleic Acid | |||||
| Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids | Modulates and/or enhances inflammatory infection in the wound, accelerating wound healing. Restores transepidermal water loss. |
Wound healing and moisturizer. | Ochrophyta | [68,77,82] | |
| Proteins and Peptides | Collagen | Enhances skin regeneration in wounds when incorporated into dressings in vivo. Reduces skin pigmentation by inhibiting tyrosinase. Modulates MMPs. Prevents photoaging in mice irradiated with UV rays by modulating induced oxidative stress in vivo. |
Whitening, wound healing, anti-aging, antioxidant, and anti-photoaging. | Mollusca Chordata Porifera Cnidaria |
[83,84,85,86,87,88,89] |
| Carnosine | Presented in vitro antioxidant activity. | Antioxidant | Chordata | [83,90] | |
| Anserine | |||||
| Gelatin | Reduced photoaging in mice skin and suppressed UV-induced injury upon irradiation in vivo. | Anti-photoaging and photoprotective. | [83] | ||
| Gelatin peptides | |||||
| Aosa biopeptide | Stimulates collagen production in fibroblasts in vitro. | Anti-aging | Chlorophyta | [90] | |
| B-phycoerythrin | Used as pigments in makeup formulations and other cosmetics. | N/A | Rhodophyta | [91] | |
| Alkaloids | Golmaenone | Presented radical scavenging activity and protected from UVA radiation in vitro. | Antioxidant and photoprotective. | Ascomycota | [16,92] |
| Dihydroxyisoechinulin A | |||||
| Echinulin | |||||
| Terpenoids | Tetraprenyltoluquinol | Reduced ROS production in fibroblasts in vitro. | Anti-photoaging, antioxidant, and photoprotective. | Ochrophyta | [93] |
| Spatane diterpenoids | Induces apoptosis on cells that suffered photodamage in vitro. | Photoprotective | [31,93] |