3,4-Dicaffeoylquinic acid protects human keratinocytes against environmental oxidative damage

Abstract Skin is exposed to several harmful environmental effects including ultraviolet B (UVB) and air pollution, the most harmful component of which is particulate matter (PM). Damaging effects of UVB and PM include the generation of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, DNA damage, and apoptosis. A compound with the potential to protect the skin against environmental oxidative damage is 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid (DQA), an antioxidant found in plant matter, including the coffee bean. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of DQA against UVB- and PM-induced oxidative cell damage in cultured human keratinocytes (HaCaT). We demonstrated that UVB, and PM with a diameter 2.5 ), induced cellular damage via oxidative stress, and this was mitigated by the antioxidative action of DQA.