Inhibition of Collagenase by Naturally-Occurring Flavonoids

We examined the inhibitory activities of various flavonoids, including the flavanones, flavones/isoflavones and flavonols, on collagenase from Clostridium histolyticum to establish their therapeutic potential against skin inflammation and photoaging. In general, the flavonols were stronger inhibitors than the flavones/isoflavones, and this indicated the importance of the C-3 hydroxyl substitution. Quercetin was the most active flavonoid among those tested, and it showed an $IC_{50}$ of 286 ${\mu}M$. These novel results suggest that certain flavonoids, particularly the flavonols, may prevent collagen breakdown by inhibiting collagenase in inflamed skin as well as photoaged skin.