Antioxidant capacity and anti-aging effects of a mixed extract from Abelmoschus manihot flower and Opuntia humifusa fruit

In this study, the antioxidant properties, the inhibitory effect on tyrosinase and dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) oxidation, ultraviolet (UV) absorbance, amino acid oxidase activity, and the inhibitory effects on collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase of the mixed extract of Abelmoschus manihot flower and Opuntia humifusa fruit (AOME) were evaluated. The contents of polyphenols, flavonoids, and vitamin C in AOME were 43.12±0.92, 90.42±2.88, and 4.79±0.33 mg/g, respectively. AOME showed inhibition rates of 57-99% for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals, 5-37% for tyrosinase, and 4-28% for DOPA oxidation. It exhibited strong UV absorption particularly in the UV-A range (320-400 nm), and demonstrated amino acid oxidase-like activity in the range of 0.01-0.05 U. AOME significantly reduced the activities of collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase at the highest concentration. These results suggest that AOME holds potential as a functional ingredient in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biotechnological applications due to its validated anti-aging bioactivities.