Collagen hydrolysate (CH) and peptides may have anti-aging properties on skin. In this study, CH prepared from the skin of porcine, bovine, tilapia, and hen were supplemented to human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) with UVA-exposure. Bovine CH inhibited matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-1 synthesis. Tilapia CH promoted cell viability and pro-collagen I production, while inhibited the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MMP-1 in UVA-exposed HDF cells. Hen CH improved viability and pro-collagen I production, alleviated the expression of apoptotic genes, reduced ROS, MMP-1, and MMP-9 production, induced discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) phosphorylation, and inhibited UVA-induced Akt and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in HDF cells, an effect largely comparable with a collagen-derived tripeptide Gly-Pro-Hyp. These results indicate that hen skin CH is superior to porcine, bovine, and tilapia skin CH on the protection of UVA-induced damage in fibroblast, with DDR2 being at least partially involved.
