Metal chelation and antioxidant properties of a serum with ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, and tocopherol

DM Pham, X. Yan, P. Brieva, R. Lemaire, JT Simonnet, S. Lynch

INTRODUCTION

More than 99% of the world population is exposed to air that exceeds the WHO air quality guidelines for pollution._¹ Particulate matter (PM) which is known to be enriched in redox-active metals such as iron and copper is a major source. When deposited on skin, these trace metals may participate in the Fenton reaction and exacerbate free radical formation leading to oxidative damage in the skin (Figure 1). ^2,3 The present experiments evaluate the ability of a serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol to chelate iron and copper and quench free radicals.