Therapeutic potential of phytochemical luteolin in restoring skin barrier by inhibiting antimicrobial peptides associated with TRAF6/TAK1/IKK/IκB in psoriasis-like HaCaT models.
Chung. Hui Su HS; Hwang. Hyung Seo HS
Key Findings
- Luteolin sharply reduced mRNA levels of antimicrobial peptides LL-37, hBD-2, S100A7, and S100A8 in TNF‑α/IL‑17A/IFN‑γ‑stimulated HaCaT cells.
- The peptide‑lowering effect was linked to inhibition of the TRAF6/IκB/NF‑κB signaling pathway.
- Luteolin increased expression of barrier‑forming proteins filaggrin, loricrin, and involucrin, indicating improved cornified envelope formation.
Practical Outcomes
- For DIY skin‑health enthusiasts, luteolin (found in foods like celery, parsley, and some supplements) could be explored as a topical or oral anti‑inflammatory agent to support barrier repair, especially in conditions with excess LL‑37 such as psoriasis. However, because the evidence is limited to cell models, start with low‑dose, monitor skin response, and treat it as an experimental adjunct rather than a proven therapy.
Summary
Researchers found that luteolin, a plant flavonoid, can lower the skin's inflammatory antimicrobial peptide LL-37 (and a few others) and boost proteins that keep the skin barrier strong in lab-grown skin cells that mimic psoriasis. This suggests luteolin might help calm skin inflammation and repair dryness, but the work is still at the cell‑culture stage.
Abstract
Autoimmune skin diseases, such as psoriasis are primarily characterized by excessive inflammation and skin barrier damage. The disrupted skin barrier is directly related to skin dryness. Luteolin, a flavonoid compound, has various biological activities such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory. However, little has been known about the anti-psoriatic therapeutic function of luteolin. This study focused on the recovery of the skin barrier by luteolin through the regulation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as well as anti-inflammatory activity, using TNF-α/IL-17A/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells. First, luteolin significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of antimicrobial peptides LL-37, human β-defensin-2 (hBD-2), S100A7, and S100A8 by regulating IκB/NF-κB signaling pathway through TRAF6/IκB. Moreover, luteolin increased the expression of filaggrin, loricrin and involucrin, which are essential of cornified envelope (CE) formation in epidermis. These results suggest anti-inflammatory luteolin has the function of restoring the disrupted skin barrier by regulating antimicrobial peptides and cornified envelope proteins. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-025-01894-z.
Study Information
pubmed
2025
2025-05-16T00:00:00.000Z
10.1007/s10068-025-01894-z
36