Antioxidant and Skin-Related Activities of a Plant-Derived Peptide Preparation (Vegan Sesamcoll) in Human Skin Cells

Natural materials derived from plants have attracted considerable attention as sustainable ingredients for skin-related applications. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and skin-related biological activities of a plant-derived peptide preparation obtained from Sesamum indicum L. by enzymatic hydrolysis (Vegan Sesamcoll, SCP). The antioxidant activity of SCP was assessed using ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays. SCP inhibited collagenase activity and increased type I collagen production in human dermal fibroblasts. In addition, SCP increased hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2) and hyaluronan synthase 3 (HAS3) protein production in human epidermal keratinocytes. These findings indicate that SCP exhibited concentration dependent radical scavenging activity, collagenase inhibitory activity, increased type I collagen production, and enhanced HAS2/HAS3 protein production in vitro in human skin cells. The results suggest that SCP may have potential as a plant-derived cosmetic ingredient for skin-related applications. However, additional studies, including further characterization of the peptide preparation, mechanistic investigations, bioavailability evaluation, and human clinical studies, are required to further validate its biological activities and potential cosmetic applications.