Oxidative Stress and Protein Misfolding in Skin Aging

Aging is a visible indicator of malfunctioning or toxic proteins that sensitize other proteins to oxidative damage which is most prominently observed on the skin. Protein misfolding is caused by the protein following an incorrect folding pathway which may lead to spontaneous misfolding while oxidative stress refers to the disruption of the balance between antioxidant defenses and reactive oxygen species production. Oxidation may alter noncovalent interactions within proteins, peptide chain fragmentation, and protein cross-linking, which causes protein misfolding and further skin aging. A feedback loop is observed in all three processes. A proper understanding of these events is significant in the formulation of anti-aging preparations and further understanding of the mechanism of aging. In this Chapter, we will be discussing some natural antioxidants available to combat oxidative stress which facilitate healthy aging and normal functioning of the body. We will be elaborating on the body’s natural defense mechanism against these problems such as the role of Chaperones. We will be looking at the detailed mechanism of oxidative stress, protein misfolding, and their correlation with skin aging along with factors influencing it. The biomarkers for oxidative stress will be enlisted. A brief correlation between these processes in a test worm and how it correlates to humans and its importance will be explained in this chapter.

Keywords: Antioxidants, Biomarkers, Chaperones, Caenorhabditis elegans, Oxidative stress, Protein misfolding, Reactive oxygen species, Skin aging.