KR-20260062904-A - Food Composition Comprising the Extract of Schizonepeta tenuifolia for Improving Skin

Abstract

The present invention relates to a food composition for skin improvement, skin moisturization, inhibition of skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, or skin protection from ultraviolet rays, comprising a *Hyeonggae* extract as an active ingredient; a health functional food comprising said food composition; a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention or treatment of skin dryness or the prevention or inhibition of skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, comprising a *Hyeonggae* extract as an active ingredient; and a quasi-drug composition for skin improvement, comprising a *Hyeonggae* extract as an active ingredient. The *Hyeonggae* extract according to the present invention has a cell-protective effect against ultraviolet rays, and not only inhibits MMP-1 expression increased by ultraviolet irradiation and increases reduced procollagen content, but also exhibits an effect of increasing water retention capacity; therefore, a composition containing the *Hyeonggae* extract can be usefully used for skin moisturization, inhibition of skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, or skin protection from ultraviolet rays.

Inventors

• 하상근
• 허진영
• 구민지
• 김세라
• 김윤숙
• 박호영
• 유귀재
• 이상훈
• 이희원
• 최지원

Assignees

• 한국식품연구원

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20260327

Priority Date

20200608

Claims (8)

1. A food composition for skin improvement containing *Hyeonggae* extract as an active ingredient.
2. In paragraph 1, The above-mentioned skin improvement is skin moisturization; inhibition, improvement, or prevention of skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays; or protection of the skin from ultraviolet rays, a food composition.
3. In paragraph 2, A food composition in which the above-mentioned skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays is any one selected from the group consisting of wrinkle formation, decrease in skin elasticity, photoaging, and skin keratinization caused by ultraviolet rays.
4. In paragraph 1, The above food composition is a food composition formulated in the form of pills, beverages, tea bags, instant teas, drinks, granules, tablets, or capsules.
5. A health functional food comprising a food composition according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 4.
6. A pharmaceutical composition for the prevention or treatment of skin dryness, or for the prevention or inhibition of skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, comprising *Hyeonggae* extract as an active ingredient.
7. In paragraph 6, A pharmaceutical composition wherein the above-mentioned skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays is any one selected from the group consisting of wrinkle formation, decreased skin elasticity, photoaging, sunburn, erythema, skin inflammation, photoallergy, phototoxicity, photosensitization, and skin keratinization caused by ultraviolet rays.
8. A quasi-drug composition for skin improvement containing *Hyeonggae* extract as an active ingredient.

Description

Food Composition Comprising the Extract of Schizonepeta tenuifolia as an Active Ingredient for Improving Skin The present invention relates to a food composition for skin improvement, skin moisturization, inhibition of skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, or skin protection from ultraviolet rays, comprising a *Hyeonggae* extract as an active ingredient; a health functional food comprising said food composition; a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention or treatment of skin dryness or the prevention or inhibition of skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, comprising a *Hyeonggae* extract as an active ingredient; and a quasi-drug composition for skin improvement, comprising a *Hyeonggae* extract as an active ingredient. Sunlight is the primary source of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is divided into three classes based on wavelength range: ultraviolet A (UVA, ~320-540 nm), ultraviolet B (UVB, ~280-320 nm), and ultraviolet C (UVC, ~100-320 nm) (Matsumura & Ananthaswamy, 2004). As disclosed in the Planck-Einstein equation, the three types of UV rays are characterized by different wavelength-specific energy levels (UVC > UVB > UVA) (Einstein, 1905). Ultraviolet (UV) radiation irradiated onto the skin passes through one of four pathways: direct reflection at the boundaries of skin layers (i.e., epidermal reflection, dermal reflection), scattering after striking cells, fibers, or particles within skin tissue, or absorption and transmission. Among these, absorbed UV radiation causes skin lesions by triggering photochemical reactions within the skin. The degree of penetration into the skin varies depending on the wavelength; UV-A is characterized by long wavelengths and low energy, and penetrates to the dermis to cause skin aging and irritation, such as promoting skin cancer, wrinkles, and melanin formation, although its energy intensity is not high. UV-B is characterized by short wavelengths and high energy; it has the most significant photobiological impact on the human body among UV rays and is the primary cause of photodamage to the skin. Because the aforementioned ultraviolet B has a high energy intensity, it penetrates to the epidermis of the skin, causing erythema, freckles, and edema. Furthermore, chronic exposure to the aforementioned ultraviolet B results in skin aging, immunosuppression, skin cancer, and apoptosis. Recently, to suppress skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, active development is underway regarding sunscreens that protect cells by blocking the penetration of UV rays, as well as cosmetic compositions utilizing ingredients with antioxidant functions that inhibit the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by UV rays. However, most developed UV-protective agents use synthetic compounds as active ingredients, which have the disadvantage of causing skin damage or side effects such as itching and spots. Therefore, there is a need to develop new natural materials that are free from side effects while possessing excellent activity in inhibiting UV-induced skin damage and protecting the skin. Against this backdrop, the inventors have made diligent research efforts to develop a natural material capable of inhibiting skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays and providing skin protection without side effects. As a result, they confirmed that *Hyeonggae* extract exhibits not only a skin moisturizing effect but also an effect of inhibiting skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays and protecting the skin from ultraviolet rays, thereby completing the present invention. Figure 1 is the result of confirming the cell-protective effect of the *Hyeonggae* extract according to the present invention in an ultraviolet irradiation environment. Figure 2 is the result of confirming the effect of the *Hyeonggae* extract according to the present invention on the expression of MMP-1 following ultraviolet irradiation. Figure 3 is the result of confirming the effect of the *Hyeonggae* extract according to the present invention on the expression of procollagen under ultraviolet irradiation. Figure 4 shows the results of confirming the effect of the *Hyeonggae* extract according to the present invention on changes in body weight of mice irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Figure 5 shows the results of confirming the effect of the *Hyeonggae* extract according to the present invention on serum AST activity (Figure 5a) and serum ALT activity (Figure 5b) of mice irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Figure 6 shows the results of confirming the effect of the *Hyeonggae* extract according to the present invention on the skin moisture retention rate of mice irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Figures 7a to 7c each show the results of confirming the effect of the *Hyeonggae* extract according to the present invention on changes in skin thickness, skin wrinkle area, and skin wrinkle length of mice irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Figures 8a and 8b are the results of histologically confirming the effect