Fermentation of Panax notoginseng root extract polysaccharides attenuates oxidative stress and promotes type I procollagen synthesis in human dermal fibroblast cells

Abstract Background Panax notoginseng is one of the most valuable traditional Chinese medicines. Polysaccharides in P. notoginseng has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of human diseases. However the application of fermentation technology in Panax notoginseng is not common, and the mechanism of action of P. notoginseng polysaccharides produced by fermentation is still unclear. The specific biological mechanisms of fermented P. notoginseng polysaccharides (FPNP) suppresses H 2 O 2 -induced apoptosis in human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and the underlying mechanism are not well understood. Methods In this study, the effects of water extracted and fermentation on concentration of polysaccharides in P. notoginseng extracts were analyzed. After the H 2 O 2 -induced HDF model of oxidative damage was established, and then discussed by the expression of cell markers, including ROS, MDA, SOD, CAT, GSH- Px and MMP-1, COL-I, ELN, which were detected by related ELISA kits. The expression of TGF-β/Smad pathway markers were tested by qRT-PCR to determine whether FPNP exerted antioxidant activity through TGF-β signaling in HDF cells. Results The polysaccharide content of Panax notoginseng increased after Saccharomyces cerevisiae CGMCC 17452 fermentation. In the FPNP treatment group, ROS and MDA contents were decreased, reversed the down-regulation of the antioxidant activity and expression of antioxidant enzyme (CAT, GSH- Px and SOD) induced by H 2 O 2 . Furthermore, the up-regulation in expression of TGF-β, Smad2/3 and the down-regulation in the expression of Smad7 in FPNP treated groups revealed that FPNP can inhibit H 2 O 2 -induced collagen and elastin injury by activating TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Conclusion It was shown that FPNP could inhibit the damage of collagen and elastin induced by H 2 O 2 by activating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, thereby protecting against the oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide. FPNP may be an effective attenuating healing agent that protects the skin from oxidative stress and wrinkles.