Evaluation of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz Extract as a Multi-Functional Natural Ingredient for Skin Barrier Repair

Epidermal barrier damage triggers sensitive skin disorders. Synthetic skin repair agents frequently incur irritation, whereas medicinal and edible herbal ingredients offer milder alternatives. As a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz remains inadequately characterized regarding its epidermal barrier repair efficacy. This work systematically characterized the barrier restoring capacity of A. macrocephala extract (AKE) via keratinocyte injured models, biochemical assays, spectroscopic interaction analysis, molecular docking and a tape stripping-induced mouse model of skin barrier impairment. AKE promoted keratinocyte migration, alleviated sodium lauryl sulfate triggered oxidative injury and enhanced ceramide synthesis. Moreover, AKE inhibited hyaluronidase, collagenase and elastase activities. Fluorescence quenching spectroscopy and thermodynamic analysis demonstrated spontaneous binding between AKE constituents and these skin degrading enzymes. At 50 μg/mL, AKE downregulated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 by suppressing the NF-κB inflammatory cascade, and restored occludin and keratin levels (p < 0.01 vs. the model group). It also exerted anti-Microsporum gypseum activity, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 92.36 ± 1.03 μg/mL, which alleviated inflammation and pruritus associated with dermatomycosis. In barrier-damaged mice, topical application of AKE recovered 81.2% of epidermal integrity (p < 0.001 vs. the model group) and normalized skin biomarkers. UHPLC-ESI-HRMS/MS combined with molecular docking identified atractylenolide I-II as potential bioactive compounds. In summary, AKE repairs damaged epidermis through multi-target modulation, indicating promising potential as a natural functional candidate for skin barrier repair.