Design and evaluation of multi-target AGEs/ALEs inhibitors for potential application in skin anti-aging

The main causes of skin aging include both intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as oxidative stress triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS), modification of collagen and elastin by reactive carbonyl species (RCS), UV exposure, lifestyle habits and environmental pollutants. Skin aging is the most visible manifestation of senescence and is unavoidable. In particular, delaying age-related changes in facial appearance is a key objective for older adults. To address this issue, naturally occurring compounds including vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, resveratrol, niacinamide, carnosine, retinols (vitamin A derivatives), and hyaluronic acid are commonly used in commercially available anti-aging skincare products. These compounds are considered to be ROS and RCS scavengers or powerful humectant. This article describes a new multi-targeted anti-aging compounds for skin applications, composed of two functional moieties: one that neutralizes ROS and the other scavenges RCS. These compounds exhibit potent skin anti-aging properties, as demonstrated by their rapid and efficient scavenging of RCS, an ORAC value more than twice that of Trolox, and strong transition-metal-chelating activity.