Ferulic Acid: Signaling Pathways in Aging

Deepa Neopane1, Vaseem Ahamad Ansari1, Aditya Singh1

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, Integral University, Lucknow, India.

Drug Research
|May 23, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Ferulic acid protects skin by scavenging free radicals and inhibiting damaging pathways. This antioxidant may offer clinical remedies for age-related skin decline.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology and Aging Research
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Skin aging results from intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations.
  • Demographic shifts increase the demand for clinical solutions to age-related skin functional deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review human skin aging pathways and the protective role of ferulic acid, referencing current patents.
  • To explore the antioxidant mechanisms and signaling pathways influenced by ferulic acid relevant to skin aging.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of skin aging mechanisms, including oxidative stress, telomere shortening, and glycation.
  • Analysis of ferulic acid's antioxidant properties, including free radical scavenging, ROS suppression, and metal ion chelation.
  • Examination of ferulic acid's impact on cellular signaling pathways like AMPK, TGF-β/Smad, and NF-κB.

Main Results:

  • Ferulic acid acts as a potent antioxidant by neutralizing free radicals and inhibiting ROS production.
  • It chelates metal ions and modulates enzyme activity, enhancing antioxidant defenses and reducing pro-oxidant enzymes.
  • Ferulic acid influences key aging pathways, including AMPK signaling for cellular homeostasis and inhibiting UV-induced collagen degradation via TGF-β/Smad.

Conclusions:

  • Ferulic acid demonstrates significant potential as a therapeutic agent for combating skin aging due to its multifaceted antioxidant and signaling pathway modulating effects.
  • Understanding ferulic acid's mechanisms provides insights for developing novel clinical remedies against age-related skin functional decline.

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