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Antioxidants
Volume 14
Issue 11
10.3390/antiox14111301
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Shikonin-Loaded Nanoparticles Attenuate Particulate Matter-Induced Skin Injury by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

by
Feifei Huang
1,
Qinghua Tang
1,
Ke Wang
2,
Lingmei Zhou
1,
Ruiwei Liao
3,
Zhuoya Wang
1,
Yan Li
3,
Lin Zhou
2,* and
Ming Li
1,*
1
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, No. 280 Waihuan East Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510006, China
2
School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, No. 280 Waihuan East Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510006, China
3
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, No. 232 East Waihuan Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510415, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Antioxidants 2025, 14(11), 1301; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14111301
Submission received: 16 September 2025 / Revised: 27 October 2025 / Accepted: 27 October 2025 / Published: 29 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Health Outcomes of Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress)
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Abstract

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) poses a major threat to skin health, yet effective prevention strategies remain limited. Shikonin, a naphthoquinone derived from Lithospermum erythrorhizon, exhibits potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. However, its therapeutic application is limited by low bioavailability. To address this limitation, we developed shikonin-loaded nanoparticles (SH-NPs) using an emulsion solvent evaporation method and characterized their physicochemical properties. The protective effects of SH-NPs against PM2.5-induced skin damage were evaluated in a mouse model. The SH-NPs exhibited favorable characteristics, including a mean particle size of 209.03 ± 2.45 nm, a PDI of 0.064 ± 0.03, and a zeta potential of –17.69 ± 2.06 mV. The encapsulation efficiency is 88% and the drug loading capacity is 5.5%, respectively. In vitro, SH-NPs significantly enhanced cellular uptake in HaCaT cells. In vivo, treatment with SH-NPs significantly improved skin structural disorders, epidermal thickening, and collagen fiber reduction, while downregulating the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Furthermore, SH-NPs increased the expression of SOD1 and SOD2, reduced MDA levels, and decreased the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NO. In conclusion, SH-NPs attenuated PM2.5-induced skin toxicity via enhanced antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-degradation mechanisms, offering a novel strategy to boost shikonin bioavailability and prevent PM2.5-related skin damage.
Keywords: shikonin; nanoparticles; fine particulate matter; oxidative stress; inflammation shikonin; nanoparticles; fine particulate matter; oxidative stress; inflammation
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MDPI and ACS Style

Huang, F.; Tang, Q.; Wang, K.; Zhou, L.; Liao, R.; Wang, Z.; Li, Y.; Zhou, L.; Li, M. Shikonin-Loaded Nanoparticles Attenuate Particulate Matter-Induced Skin Injury by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation. Antioxidants 2025, 14, 1301. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14111301

AMA Style

Huang F, Tang Q, Wang K, Zhou L, Liao R, Wang Z, Li Y, Zhou L, Li M. Shikonin-Loaded Nanoparticles Attenuate Particulate Matter-Induced Skin Injury by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation. Antioxidants. 2025; 14(11):1301. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14111301

Chicago/Turabian Style

Huang, Feifei, Qinghua Tang, Ke Wang, Lingmei Zhou, Ruiwei Liao, Zhuoya Wang, Yan Li, Lin Zhou, and Ming Li. 2025. "Shikonin-Loaded Nanoparticles Attenuate Particulate Matter-Induced Skin Injury by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation" Antioxidants 14, no. 11: 1301. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14111301

APA Style

Huang, F., Tang, Q., Wang, K., Zhou, L., Liao, R., Wang, Z., Li, Y., Zhou, L., & Li, M. (2025). Shikonin-Loaded Nanoparticles Attenuate Particulate Matter-Induced Skin Injury by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation. Antioxidants, 14(11), 1301. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14111301

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