Protective effects of tiger milk mushroom extract (xLr®) against UVB irradiation in Caenorhabditis elegans via DAF-16 anti-oxidant regulation.

Background and Aim: A critical causative factor of oxidative stress and inflammation leading to several skin complications is ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiation. Lignosus rhinocerus (LR), or tiger milk mushroom, is native to Southeast Asia. Cold water extract of an LR cultivar, TM02® (xLr®) is a promising anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory source. However, the effects of xLr® on UVB-induced photoaging have never been elucidated.
Experimental Procedure: This study investigated the protective effects of xLr® and its high, medium, and low molecular weight (HLR, MLR, and LLR, respectively) fractions against UVB irradiation using in vivo Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) model.
Results and Conclusion: The investigation revealed a significant lifespan extension of xLr® and its fractions in UVB-irradiated C. elegans , which could be mediated by the regulation of genes associated with anti-oxidant ( daf-16 and sod-3 ) and apoptosis ( cep-1 , hus-1 , ced-13 , and egl-1 ) pathways. xLr® significantly reduced the ROS production in C. elegans and increased the DAF-16 nuclear translocation compared to untreated worms. Additionally, the SOD-3 expression was increased in the xLr®-treated worms. Hence, it suggests that the different components in xLr® work synergistically to protect against UVB irradiation. Our findings may be beneficial for the application of xLr® as a treatment against UVB-induced cellular damage and photoaging.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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