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Natural Plant Peptides in Skin Care
The advancement of biotechnology in recent years has led to isolation of promising peptides from plants. Plant peptide protects the natural peptide bonds of the skin proteins, which are the natural sun blocks of the skin and recreate this natural blocking.
Plant peptides have received attention for three main reasons:
• First, plants containing unique pharmacologically active peptides have been found within natural products-based drug discovery programs(1,2)
• Second, genetically transformed plants (”transgenic plants”) are now considered an attractive and cost-efficient alternative to fermentation-based systems for production of, for example, high value recombinant peptides(3,4)
• Third, like animals, plants are known to make use of peptides as signal substances(5,6)
The role in plants, as in animal peptides, is to assist in cellular signaling.(7) Besides, these natural molecules have a lot of potential. It has raised hopes of providing harmless remedies for a number of ailments.
Defencins are major innate immunity elements in plants. Large numbers of them also possess antifungal activity by interacting with fungal specific components in the plasmamembrane, leading to membrane permeabilization. This makes them potential molecules for antifungal therapy.(8) In a study, five antipathogenic plant peptides were found to have efficient antibacterial activity.(9)
Granulysin peptides were reported to be effective against P. acne and may emerge as an effective therapy for acne. Such treatment will be free from the adverse effects associated with benzoyl peroxide, azelaic, etc.(10)
These natural substances, which are freely available in the natural environment, are devoid of harmful effects. They are well accepted by body cells. They could potentially be a novel, therapeutic modality for a wide range of skin-related diseases.
The effectiveness of many modern, synthetic molecules is illusory and at best temporary. In the long run, the adverse effects appear. Their application on the skin also has far-reaching consequences as the skin absorbs these molecules easily. Once they enter the body, they interact with the internal membrane system producing systemic effects.
References
1. Gustafson KR, Sowder RCI, Henderson LE, Parsons IC, Kashman Y, Cardellina JH, MaMahon JBI, Buckheit RW, Pannell LK, and Boyd MR (1994) Circulins A and B: novel HIV-inhibitory macrocyclic peptides from the tropical tree Chassalia parvifolia. J Am Chem Soc 116:9337-9338.
2. Witherup KM, Bogusky MJ, Anderson PS, Ramjit H, Ransom RW, Wood T, and Sardana M (1994) Cyclopsychotride A, a biologically active, 31-residue cyclic peptide isolated from Psychotria longipes. J Nat Prod 57:1619-1625.
3. Goddijn OJ, and Pen J (1995) Plants as bioreactors. TiBtech 13:379-387.
4. Whitelam GJ (1995) The production of recombinant proteins in plants. J Sci Food Agric 68:1-9.
5. Bergey DR, Howe GA, and Ryan CA (1996) Polypeptide signaling for plant defensive genes exhibit analogies to defense signaling in animals. Proc Natl Acad Sci 93:12053-12058.
6. Marx J (1996) Plants, like animals, may make use of peptide signals. Science 273:1338-1339.
7. Bisseling T. The role of plant peptides in intercellular signalling. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 1999 Oct;2(5):365-8.Click here to read Links
8. Thomma BP, Cammue BP, Thevissen K. Mode of action of plant defensins suggests therapeutic potential. Curr Drug Targets Infect Disord. 2003 Mar;3(1):1-
9. Caaveiro JM, Molina A, González-Mañas JM, Rodríguez-Palenzuela P, Garcia-Olmedo F, Goñi FM. Differential effects of five types of antipathogenic plant peptides on model membranes. FEBS Lett. 1997 Jun 30;410(2-3):338-42.
10. McInturff JE, Wang SJ, Machleidt T, Lin TR, Oren A, Hertz CJ, Krutzik SR, Hart S, Zeh K, Anderson DH, Gallo RL, Modlin RL, Kim J (2005) Granulysin-derived peptides demonstrate antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects against Propionibacterium acnes. J Invest Dermatol 125, 256-63.
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