The Effect of α-Arbutin on UVB-Induced Damage and Its Underlying Mechanism

Ultraviolet radiation can heighten tyrosinase activity, stimulate melanocyte production, impede the metabolism of numerous melanocytes, and result in the accumulation of plaques on the skin surface. α-Arbutin, a bioactive substance extracted from the arbutin plant, has been widely used for skin whitening. In this study, the whitening effect of α-arbutin by inhibiting tyrosinase activity and alleviating the photoaging effect induced by UVB are investigated. The results indicate that α-arbutin can inhibit skin inflammation, and its effectiveness is positively correlated with concentration. Moreover, α-arbutin can reduce the skin epidermal thickness, decrease the number of inflammatory cells, and down-regulate the expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, which are inflammatory factors. It also promotes the expression of COL-1 collagen, thus playing an important role in anti-inflammatory action. Network pharmacology, metabolomics and transcriptomics further confirm that α-arbutin is related to the L-tyrosine metabolic pathway and may interfere with various signaling pathways related to melanin and other photoaging by regulating metabolic changes. Therefore, α-arbutin has a potential inhibitory effect on UVB-induced photoaging and possesses a whitening effect as a cosmetic compound.