Effects of Black Ginseng Water Extract under the Inflammatory Conditions of Cultured Sebocytes and Outer Root Sheath Cells

Background: Ginseng has been used in Korea for a long time as a restorative herbal medicine. Black ginseng (BG) is made from red or white ginseng by multiple steamy and dry processes. Although BG has been reported to have anti-inflammatory potential, studies on its influence on inflammatory skin disorders are lacking. Objective: To investigate the effects of BG under the inflammatory conditions of cultured sebocytes and outer root sheath (ORS) cells. Methods: The cultured cells were treated with 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide, 5 μg/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or 5 μg/ml LPS+50 μg/ml BG for 6 hours and 24 hours. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, immunofluorescence staining and Nile red staining were performed for analysis of inflammatory biomarkers and sebum-related biomarkers. Results: BG brought out the increased gene and protein expression of inflammatory biomarkers such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α, in the LPS-treated sebocytes and ORS cells. In addition, BG induced increased expression of TLR4, p-c-jun, p-JNK and p-iκB in LPS-treated sebocytes and ORS cells. Furthermore, it significantly increased the expression of LL-37 and the production of sebum in LPS-treated sebocytes. Conclusion: It may be possible for BG to increase the expression of inflammatory biomarkers in inflammatory skin disorders, such as acne.