LAUSR

Notoginseng is a traditional herbal medicine widely used for medicinal therapy in Asia, as it contains numerous ginsenosides with pharmacological effects. In this study, we submitted Notoginseng stem‐leaf (NGL) ginsenosides to an enzyme to create a reaction with the monomer products of ginsenoside C‐Mx and then investigated the ability of ginsenoside C‐Mx to protect the skin against ultraviolet B‐induced injury in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). Ginsenoside C‐Mx alleviated UVB‐induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), MMP‐1 and IL‐6 expression while accelerating TGF‐β and procollagen type I secretion. In addition, ginsenoside C‐Mx reversed UVB‐induced procollagen type I reduction by regulating the TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathway. Moreover, ginsenoside C‐Mx inhibited activation of AP‐1 transcription factor, an inducer of MMPs. Ginsenoside C‐Mx displayed an outstanding antioxidant capacity, increasing expression of cytoprotective antioxidants such as HO‐1 and NQO‐1 expression by enhancing the nuclear accumulation of Nrf2. Interestingly, application of ginsenoside C‐Mx treatment (1, 10, 20 μm) significantly diminished UVB‐induced suppressed NF‐κB expression, decreasing the over‐released inflammatory cytokines. Taken together, our findings indicated that ginsenoside C‐Mx may act as a promising natural cosmetic ingredient for prevention and treatment of UVB‐induced skin damage.