Anti-Aging Efficacy of Low-Molecular-Weight Polydeoxyribonucleotide Derived from Paeonia lactiflora

Sep 30, 2026

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Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), a DNA fragment mixture, exerts biological effects via adenosine A2A receptor signaling and activation of nucleotide salvage pathways. This work proposes Paeonia lactiflora-derived PDRN (Peony PDRN) as a plant-based alternative to salmon-derived PDRN, while addressing that Peony PDRN functions remain uncharacterized. The study compares high, medium, and low molecular-weight fractions using in vitro assays and clinical studies, showing Low-Peony PDRN enhances skin cell proliferation and migration and supports extracellular matrix gene expression and barrier-related marker levels. Low-Peony PDRN also reduces reactive oxygen species and suppresses inflammatory mediators, with topical treatment improving barrier recovery and periorbital elasticity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Reading Time48 min

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Article Anti-Aging Efficacy of Low-Molecular-Weight Polydeoxyribonucleotide Derived from Paeonia lactiflora Sun-Uk Bak, Min Sook Jung , Da Jung Kim *, Hee Un Jin, Seung Youn Lee and Chae Eun An Academic Editor: José Justicia Received: 18 November 2025 Revised: 12 December 2025 Accepted: 23 December 2025 Published: 24 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Skin Science Research Center, NewLife BST Co., Ltd., Seoul 08594, Republic of Korea; [subak@newlifegroup.com](subak@newlifegroup.com) (S.-U.B.); [msjeong@newlifegroup.com](msjeong@newlifegroup.com) (M.S.J.); [hujin@newlifegroup.com](hujin@newlifegroup.com) (H.U.J.); [syl@newlifegroup.com](syl@newlifegroup.com) (S.Y.L.); [cean@newlifegroup.com](cean@newlifegroup.com) (C.E.A.) * [Correspondence: djkim@newlifegroup.com](Correspondence: djkim@newlifegroup.com); Tel.: +82-2-2225-0079 Abstract Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), a DNA fragment mixture, exerts biological effects via adenosine A2A receptor and salvage pathway activation. Here, Paeonia lactiflora-derived PDRN (Peony PDRN) is proposed as a plant-based alternative to salmon-derived PDRN. While P. lactiflora is known for its medicinal properties, the biological functions of Peony PDRN have not been characterized. To validate and optimize its efficacy, we systematically compared the biological activities of three molecular weight groups of Peony PDRN (high, medium, and low) using in vitro assays and clinical studies. The low-molecular-weight fraction (Low-Peony PDRN) markedly enhanced skin cell proliferation and migration, upregulated extracellular matrix-related genes (COL1A1, COL5A1, ELN, and FBN1), and promoted keratinocyte differentiation and epidermal barrier formation by increasing COL7A1, IVL, FLG, and OCLN expression. It also reduced reactive oxygen species levels and suppressed key inflammatory mediators. Clinically, topical application of Low-Peony PDRN for 2 weeks markedly reduced transepidermal water loss in a sodium lauryl sulfate-induced skin damage model, enhancing barrier recovery (n = 10) . Periorbital skin elasticity improved after 4 weeks of treatment (Approval No. Intertek IRB-202505-HR(1)-0001, 20 June 2025) . These results indicate that Low-Peony PDRN is a promising plant-derived biomaterial of pharmacological and cosmetic significance, with potential to address skin aging. Keywords: polydeoxyribonucleotide; Peony PDRN; Paeonia lactiflora; skin aging; extracellular matrix; low-molecular-weight; UV-induced damage; skin regeneration; skin barrier 1. Introduction Skin aging is a complex biological process driven by progressive molecular, cellular, and tissue-level alterations in the epidermis and dermis [1–4] . Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, psychological stress, and environmental pollutants [5–7], induce excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) [8–11] . Specifically, UV-induced aging plays a major role in premature skin aging and causes distinct types of damage depending on the wavelength. UVA penetrates deeply into the dermis, leading to oxidative stress and photoaging, whereas UVB primarily affects the epidermis, causing direct DNA damage and inflammatory responses [12,13] . These UV-induced responses impair keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation, migration, and differentiation, thereby disrupting epidermal renewal and extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis [14,15] . Consequently, collagen andelastin synthesis declines, leading to ECM disorganization, reduced dermal integrity, and loss of elasticity. Concurrently, the epidermal barrier deteriorates due to diminished expression of key structural proteins

FAQs

What is the proposed benefit of Paeonia lactiflora-derived PDRN in the study?

The study proposes Peony PDRN as a plant-based alternative to salmon-derived PDRN to address skin aging, supported by biological activities tied to skin cell behavior and barrier-related functions.

How does low-molecular-weight Peony PDRN affect skin cells and molecular markers?

The low-molecular-weight fraction markedly enhances skin cell proliferation and migration, upregulates extracellular matrix-related genes (e.g., COL1A1, COL5A1, ELN, FBN1), and promotes keratinocyte differentiation and epidermal barrier formation by increasing COL7A1, IVL, FLG, and OCLN expression.

What clinical outcomes are reported after topical application of Low-Peony PDRN?

Topical application for 2 weeks markedly reduces transepidermal water loss in a sodium lauryl sulfate-induced skin damage model and improves barrier recovery; periorbital skin elasticity shows improvement after 4 weeks of treatment.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Kyle