Hydrolyzed Methylhesperidin Induces Antioxidant Enzyme Expression via the Nrf2–ARE Pathway in Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes

Abstract

Methylhesperidin (MHES) is a mixture of methylated derivatives of the citrus flavonoid hesperidin and is used as a food or pharmaceutical additive. Dietary MHES could be hydrolyzed by gut microflora to give aglycons. Therefore, we prepared hydrolyzed methylhesperidin (h-MHES) and assessed its pharmacological activity in human epidermal keratinocytes. h-MHES promoted nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) nuclear translocation and the expression of cytoprotective genes (e.g., heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC)). h-MHES also increased intracellular glutathione levels and reduced UVB-induced reactive oxygen species. Moreover, h-MHES increased phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and a p38 MAPK inhibitor significantly attenuated h-MHES-induced HO-1 and GCLC expression. Furthermore, when we purified the components of h-MHES, we identified two methoxy-chalcones as novel Nrf2 activators. Our study demonstrates that h-MHES can induce cytoprotective gene expression and reduce oxidative stress via the Nrf2-ARE pathway in keratinocytes, suggesting that MHES may contribute to the suppression of UVB-induced skin damage in vivo.