Saponins of Korean Red Ginseng May Protect Human Skin from Adipokine-Associated Inflammation and Pigmentation Resulting from Particulate Matter Exposure

The study investigated the protective effects of saponins from Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) on skin exposed to particulate matter (PM). It was found that PM exposure decreased keratinocyte viability, increased oxidative stress, leptin expression, and melanin production. However, these effects were mitigated by treatment with saponins. The saponins also reduced levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) after PM exposure. The study used normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHKs) and skin from four women aged 30-50 years. The results suggest that saponins from KRG can protect the skin from the harmful effects of PM exposure by reducing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leptin, inflammatory cytokines, and melanin. This could potentially lead to the development of effective oral or topical agents for protecting human skin from airborne-PM-induced inflammation and pigmentation.