Chemical composition and ameliorative effect of <i>Cinnamomum burmanni</i> (Nees &amp; T.Nees) Blume essential oil nanoemulgel in UVB-induced skin photoaging C57BL/6 mice <i>: in vivo</i> and <i>in silico</i> studies

Photoaging is induced by prolonged UVB exposure, leading to the production of reactive oxygen species and subsequent oxidative stress. <i>Cinnamomum burmanni</i> essential oil (CBEO) is known for its potent antioxidant properties. This study aimed to develop a CBEO nanoemulgel formulation that provides optimal anti-photoaging effects will be proven by <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in silico</i> evaluation. Additionally, molecular docking studies were conducted to explore the interaction between the bioactive compounds and Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), a key enzyme involved in the degradation of collagen during photoaging, to support the proposed mechanism of action. CBEO was found to contain 88.59% cinnamaldehyde as its main compound. Skin histopathological analysis demonstrated anti-photoaging effects of CBEO nanoemulgel were comparable to alpha arbutin both <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in silico</i>. The developed CBEO nanoemulgel demonstrates strong potential as a topical anti-photoaging agent, attributed to its rich content of bioactive compounds with MMP-inhibitory properties.