Antiaging effects of natural agents in the skin: Focus on mitochondria

This chapter aims to highlight recent advances about the role of natural products usually taken as micronutrients in preventing cutaneous aging. At the basis of skin aging, there would be either intrinsic or extrinsic factors, among which the UV radiation, which is the primary cause of extrinsic skin aging widely known as “photoaging.” In the last years, a particular interest has been devoted to the analysis of the effects of polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and bioactive compounds on peroxidation and mitochondrial function. Although many of the mechanisms contributing to skin aging are not fully understood, it is widely accepted that any changes in the cellular redox state would play a pivotal role. Moreover, being mitochondria involved in free radical release as a results of oxygen consumption and ATP synthesis, it is likely that any alteration in mitochondrial function would contribute to tissue functional decline and aging. Hence, excessive production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), the fall of mitochondrial membrane potential, and skin aging are widely interconnected.