Investigating the protective effect of Rosa damascena nanogel on collagenase and elastase activity and UVB-induced dermal damage: A rodent model approach to skin photoaging.

While aging inevitably changes our skin, this complex biological process involves much more than just getting older. As the body's largest organ, the skin constantly safeguards us from harmful environmental pathogens and plays a key role in overall well-being. This study investigated the development and evaluation of a nanogel containing Rosa damascena essential oil for its potential anti-aging properties. The nanogel was prepared from a primary nanoemulsion with a particle size of 86 ± 4 nm. Antioxidant activity, measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, was found to be 76% ± 3%. Furthermore, the nanogel demonstrated superior anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activities (60% ± 2% and 51% ± 0.1%, respectively) compared to the essential oil alone. The antibacterial efficacy of the nanogel was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, revealing potent inhibitory effects. To simulate the aging process, rats were subjected to UVB irradiation on both legs 4 days a week before or after treatment. In vivo studies conducted on mice showed that the nanogel effectively reduced the formation of deep wrinkles in treated groups compared to pretreated ones. These findings suggest that the introduced nanogel, with its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, holds promise as a natural therapeutic approach for wrinkle treatment.