Antiaging Effects of Limonene in Ageing-Induced HaCaT Cells

Abstract

Limonene, obtained from citrus oils such as orange, grapefruit, and lemon, is widely used in cosmetics as a scenting agent. It is regarded as safe because it is not mutagenic, carcinogenic, or nephrotoxic to people and has low human toxicity. This study aims to show the beneficial effects of limonene against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) induced ageing in human keratinocytes (HaCat) cell line. For this purpose, the concentration value at which H₂O₂ can cause ageing in HaCaT cells was determined as 200 µM by the MTT method. Then, cytotoxic effects of limonene (1, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500 µg/mL) alone and in aging-induced cells were determined by the MTT method; possible antigenotoxic effects were determined by alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) method. According to the results obtained, limonene, an ingredient in cosmetics, has protective effects against skin aging in HaCaT cells.