Novel moisture-preserving derivatives of hyaluronan resistant to hyaluronidase and protective to UV light.

Current studies have revealed the excellent moisture absorption-retention capacity of hyaluronan (HA); however, HA is easily degraded by hyaluronidase on the surface of skin. So, it is very necessary to develop an alternative derivative with low cytotoxicity and resistance to hyaluronidase. Herein, a HA decorated with photocaged groups was synthesized. The moisture absorption-retention capacity and hyaluronidase resistance of photocaged HA (HA-DMNB) and products of HA-DMNB irradiated by ultraviolet for different time (IHA-DMNB), were investigated. Results show that HA-DMNB is more resistant to hyaluronidase than HA, and HA-DMNB could release free carboxyl groups of HA upon ultraviolet to bond with H2O. More importantly, HA-DMNB was protective against UV light. In addition, HA-DMNB and IHA-DMNB were observed to be nontoxic to HaCat cells. This study indicates that HA-DMNB may be effectively used as a moisture-preserving reagent.