Activity of Angelica sinensis extract for cutaneous applications: antioxidant, anti-senescent, and antimicrobial effects

Angelica sinensis (dong quai) is a widely used Traditional Chinese Medicine herb whose constituents are associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, making it a plausible candidate for skin-care applications. Here, we evaluated whether an Angelica sinensis extract containing 1% ligustilide exerts antioxidant, anti-senescence, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects in human skin cell models and explored extracellular matrix-related readouts. Human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and dermal fibroblasts (BJ-5ta) were treated with the extract (10, 30, 50 μg/mL); anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by lipopolysaccharide-induced nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 nuclear translocation, antioxidant effects by reactive oxygen species detection with and without hydrogen peroxide challenge, senescence by senescence-associated β-galactosidase after UVB irradiation, and matrix support by collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) immunofluorescence in fibroblasts; scratch-wound assays evaluated migration, and broth microdilution tested activity against Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus epidermidis , Cutibacterium acnes , and Malassezia globosa . The extract reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-κB nuclear localization in keratinocytes, lowered basal and hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxygen species at 3 and 24 h in both cell types, and attenuated ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced senescence in keratinocyte and fibroblast models; in fibroblasts, it increased COL1A1 signal, while migration was unchanged. The extract showed strong inhibition of Staphylococcus species and partial, concentration-dependent inhibition of C. acnes and M . globosa after 24 h, with acceptable viability across the tested range. Overall, these results indicate that A. sinensis extract combines anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity with reduced UVB-associated senescence, fibroblast matrix-supportive signaling, and antimicrobial effects against skin-relevant microbes, supporting further evaluation in more advanced skin models and finished-product formulations before inferring topical performance.