ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1646822
This article is part of the Research TopicNutraceuticals and Medicinal Plants for Preventive Health Care: Integrative Approaches from Ethnopharmacology to Regulatory Science and Applications in Human Health and DiseaseView all 9 articles
Petroselinum sativum (Parsley) Extract Suppresses Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Responses in Human Keratinocytes and Reduces Atopic Dermatitis Symptoms in Mouse Skin
Provisionally accepted
Juan Wang1
Xiaoqian Wu2
Huihao Tang1Zhiwei Liu1Yun Ding3Minyi Feng2Shasha Wang3Jiaqi Zuo2
Qi ZHAO2Yaozhao Li1Chuntao Zhai2Zhenlin Hu1
Xiaolei Ding1*Nan Liu3*- 1Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- 2LB Cosmeceutical Technology Co., Ltd., ,, Shanghai, China
- 3Hangzhou Island Xingqing Biotechnology Co., Ltd,, Hangzhou, China
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Abstract:Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss (parsley), a traditional botanical drug used for treating skin conditions including atopic dermatitis (AD), has unclear effects on epidermal keratinocytes. This study investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of parsley extracts in human keratinocytes and evaluated their therapeutic potential in an experimental AD model. The aqueous, ethanolic, and hydro-ethanolic (HE) extracts of parsley were evaluated for total polyphenol and flavonoid metabolites (TPC, TFC) and antioxidant activity using DPPH and FRAP assays. In vitro, HaCaT cells were treated with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) and TNF-α/IFN-γ to induce oxidative stress and inflammation. Therapeutic efficacy was further evaluated in 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced AD-like mouse model. The results showed that HE extracts of parsley (HEP) contained the highest TPC and TFC and exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, significantly improving cell viability and reducing ROS levels in t-BHP-treated cells. Mechanistically, HEP alleviated oxidative stress by activating Nrf2 pathway and enhancing the expression of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). In addition, HEP suppressed inflammatory cytokines IL-33, IL-6, and IL-8 expression by inhibiting JAK1/STAT1 and NF-κB signaling, and simultaneously increased the expression of skin barrier proteins, including filaggrin and claudin-1 in TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells. Moreover, HEP application could alleviate AD-like symptoms in DNFB-induced mouse model, including reduced skin hyperplasia, decreased immune cells infiltration. These findings suggest that HEP modulates oxidative stress and inflammation through multiple signaling pathways, offering promising natural therapeutic agent for AD management.
Keywords: Petroselinum sativum, antioxidant, anti-inflammation, Keratinocytes, Atopicdermatitis
Received: 14 Jun 2025; Accepted: 26 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Wu, Tang, Liu, Ding, Feng, Wang, Zuo, ZHAO, Li, Zhai, Hu, Ding and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiaolei Ding, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
Nan Liu, Hangzhou Island Xingqing Biotechnology Co., Ltd,, Hangzhou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.