J Environ Toxicol. 2008; 23(2): 129-138.
Published online 1986 January 01.
Inhibition Effects of Frankincense Oil on Skin Aging (II): Focussed on Histological Observation
Oi-Sook Choi , Mi-Hwa Kwon , Min-Kyu Kong , Soon-Hee Lee , Sung-Rye Gang , Pil-Sun Kim , and Young-Chul Kim
ABSTRACT
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of frankincense oil in skin aging animal model. Skin aging was induced by both the irradiation of UVB and the application of squalene monohydroperoxide (Sq-OOH) to the back of experimental animals for 4 weeks. And at the same time experimental materials were applied topically. Six to seven weeks female SHR-1 hairless mice were divided into five groups including nor-mal (N: saline), control (C: UVB+Sq-OOH+saline), vehicle control (VC: UVB+Sq-OOH+jojoba oil), positive control (PC: UVB+Sq-OOH+0.01% retinoic acid) and experimental (E: UVB+Sq-OOH+3% Frankincense oil) groups, five animals each group. Lipid lamella and lipid content in stratum corneum of the E group were almost intact with a regular arrangement which were similar to the N group. Collagen fibers in dermis of the E group were almost intact with a regular arrangement which were similar to the N group. Relatively much less number of mast cells and inflammatory cells were found in the E group compared to the C group. The activities of XO, SOD and CAT were no significant difference between the E and N groups. In conclusion, the application of frankincense oil to the skin aging animal model reduced both the generation of free radicals and the damage of skin tissues. Therefore, frankincense oil can be used practically for the prevention or improvement of skin aging in terms of health promotion and beauty for the people.
Keywords : frankincense oil;hairless mice;skin aging;antioxidant activity