Oxidative stress and antioxidants at skin biosurface: A novel antioxidant from lemon oil capable of inhibiting oxidative demage to the skin

Atmospheric pollutants are an important source of oxidative and nitrosative stress both to terrestrial plants and to animals. Skin, which has a highly differentiated and certainly complex organizational structure is particularly vulnerable to free radical damage because of its contact with oxygen and with other environmental stimuli. Fruit and vegetables contain several classes of compounds that when ingested can potentially contribute to antioxidant defenses. in the present study we employed a novel gas chromatographic method to assess the antioxidant properties of a natural compound isolated from lemon oil, which we have called Lem1. We provide experimental evidence that Lem1 is endowed with a strong antioxidant activity and that it is capable of inhibiting free radical-mediated reactions, as evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The present study extends our previous findings and demonstrates that topical application of Lem 1 in healthy volunteers significantly increases the antioxidative potential of skin biosurface, thus highlighting the effectiveness of a natural antioxidant biotechnology in the antiaging management of skin