Lin Yingying, Chang Yunhee, Maeng Yoojae, Liu Xiaoxing, Liu Xinke, Meng Hong, Yi Fan
Beijing Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Research and Development, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
LG H&H Co., Ltd., LG Science Park R&D Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025 Apr;24(4):e70124. doi: 10.1111/jocd.70124.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treats skin conditions and delays aging using specific formulas. TCM links skin health to internal organ functions: kidney qi deficiency accelerates aging, whereas spleen deficiency leads to dry, loose skin from insufficient qi and blood. The renowned spleen-tonifying and kidney-nourishing formula "Wan An Wan" moisturizes the skin, but its antiageing mechanism remains unclear.
The aim of this study was to investigate the development strategy and comprehensive methodological framework for incorporating TCM into cosmetics and to assess the mechanism of action and application potential of the WAW formula in mitigating skin aging.
In vitro experiments revealed that after optimizing the extraction of the active ingredients of the tailored WAW formula, it effectively inhibited NO production and tyrosinase activity and increased filaggrin, AQP, and HAS2 mRNA expression. Moreover, the active ingredients, including morroniside, were also analyzed separately. Mechanistic studies revealed that the tailored WAW formula upregulated the expression of the TGF-β1 gene associated with ECM production and downregulated the expression of the MMP-2/MMP-9 genes associated with ECM degradation, regulating cell behaviors such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation and thereby maintaining the healthy state of the skin.
In this study, an overall strategy for applying TCM for the development of skin care solutions was established, the potential value of WAW in modern dermatologic applications was revealed, innovative raw materials with comprehensive effects were developed, and new ideas for the fields of cosmetics and dermatology were provided.
中医使用特定配方治疗皮肤疾病并延缓衰老。中医将皮肤健康与内脏功能联系起来：肾气不足会加速衰老，而脾虚会导致气血不足，从而使皮肤干燥、松弛。著名的补脾益肾配方“万安丸”可滋润肌肤，但其抗衰老机制尚不清楚。
本研究旨在探讨将中医融入化妆品的发展策略和综合方法框架，并评估万安丸配方在减轻皮肤衰老方面的作用机制和应用潜力。
体外实验表明，优化定制万安丸配方的活性成分提取后，它能有效抑制一氧化氮生成和酪氨酸酶活性，并增加丝聚合蛋白、水通道蛋白和透明质酸合酶2信使核糖核酸的表达。此外，还对包括莫诺苷在内的活性成分进行了单独分析。机制研究表明，定制万安丸配方上调了与细胞外基质生成相关的转化生长因子-β1基因的表达，下调了与细胞外基质降解相关的基质金属蛋白酶-2/基质金属蛋白酶-9基因的表达，调节细胞迁移、黏附和增殖等行为，从而维持皮肤的健康状态。
本研究建立了将中医应用于皮肤护理解决方案开发的总体策略，揭示了万安丸在现代皮肤科应用中的潜在价值，开发了具有综合功效的创新原料，并为化妆品和皮肤科领域提供了新思路。
