This study identified three bioactive compounds, sparalide C (1), 5-hydroxy-7-methoxyphthalide (2) and methyl orsellinate (3), from ELN-enriched vesicle fraction derived from S. crispa. All isolated compounds enhanced COL1A1 gene expression in CCD-1064Sk human fibroblasts, suggesting their potential to promote collagen biosynthesis. Molecular docking analysis further supported their relevance by indicating moderate binding affinities to collagenase enzymes (MMP-1, MMP-8 and MMP-13), which are known to degrade type I collagen. These findings suggest that ELN-enriched vesicle fraction derived from S. crispa may serve as a promising natural source for skin health applications, particularly in maintaining extracellular matrix homeostasis.
Choi et al. (Mon,) studied this question.