Multi-Target Mechanisms and Translational Challenges of Traditional Chinese Medicine Active Components in Anti-Skin Photoaging

Ultraviolet radiation (UVA/UVB) induces skin photoaging through mechanisms including oxidative stress, extracellular matrix degradation, chronic inflammation, and DNA damage. In contrast, conventional chemical sunscreens carry safety hazards such as dermal penetration toxicity and endocrine disruption. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) active components rely on the characteristics of multi-component and multi-target synergistic intervention; for example, baicalin scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and repairing DNA damage, astragaloside IV promoting collagen synthesis, and asiaticoside enhancing barrier function. This study systematically explores the core mechanism of ultraviolet (UV)- induced skin photoaging, analyzes the multi-target regulatory effects of TCM components, such as baicalin, astragaloside IV, and asiaticoside, and compares them with conventional sunscreen agents to reveal the multi-target advantages in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, collagen protection, and DNA repair pathways. At the same time, it clearly points out that their clinical translation of TCM components faces core bottlenecks. Such as low transdermal delivery efficiency, high batch-to-batch variability, and inadequate clinical sample sizes. In response to these limitations, transformative strategies such as developing novel delivery systems, optimizing strict quality control standards, and conducting large-sample, multi-center randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been proposed from the perspectives of formulation technology, component standardization, and clinical research. These approaches establish a preliminary framework for developing TCM-based anti-photoaging products.