Araliadiol Protects Human Keratinocytes From Oxidative Stress, DNA Damage, and Apoptosis via Activation of Antioxidant Signaling

January 2026 in “ Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark ”

Zhenyan Piao, Dae Sung Yoo, Sang Hee Park, Dong Seon Kim, Si Eun Yoon, Ji Hye Yoon, Jongsung Lee, Jae‐Joong Kim, Jae Youl Cho

araliadiol Centella asiatica keratinocytes oxidative stress DNA damage apoptosis antioxidant signaling HO-1 NQO1 Nrf2 JNK–AP-1 urban particulate matter UPM Gotu Kola

TLDR Araliadiol protects skin cells from damage by boosting antioxidant defenses.

Araliadiol, a compound from Centella asiatica, demonstrates significant protective effects against skin damage caused by urban particulate matter (UPM) by reducing oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis in human keratinocytes. The study found that araliadiol enhances antioxidant defenses by upregulating genes like HO-1 and NQO1 and activating the Nrf2 and JNK–AP-1 signaling pathways. Unlike UPM exposure, which induces limited antioxidant responses, araliadiol independently activates robust cytoprotective mechanisms, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for mitigating pollutant-induced skin damage.