Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Bacopa monnieri in UV-Induced Skin Ageing Models: A Short Review

Chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the dominant environmental driver of premature skin ageing. UVB is absorbed mainly in the epidermis, whereas the more abundant UVA reaches the dermis; together they generate reactive oxygen species, activate MAPK, AP-1 and NF-κB signalling, depress Nrf2-dependent defences and induce matrix metalloproteinases that degrade dermal collagen. Plant extracts that combine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity are therefore attractive photoprotective candidates. Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst., an Ayurvedic herb studied mainly for its neuroprotective effects, has repeatedly been shown to scavenge free radicals, protect mitochondria, restore Nrf2 signalling and lower TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2 and iNOS in non-cutaneous models. This short review summarises the mechanisms of UV-induced skin ageing and the cell, reconstructed-skin and hairless-rodent models used to study it, collates the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory evidence for Bacopa, and examines how far this evidence can be extended to photoaged skin. No peer-reviewed study of Bacopa in UV-exposed skin cells or skin was identified, so the conclusions are mechanistic and hypothesis-generating; a stepwise validation pathway is proposed.