Jasmine tea extract enhances human retinal pigment epithelial cells survival after UVB irradiation

To examine the protecting effect of jasmine tea extract (JTE) against ultraviolet B (UVB) induced damage on human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, the RPE cells were subjected to UVB exposure and sequential JTE administration. The cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis were determined by MTT, 2ʹ,7ʹ-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and flow cytometer assays, respectively. Further, the cells treated with UVB irradiation and sequential JTE administration were subjected to RNA-sequencing analysis in order to identify genes and pathways involved in the UVB-induced damage and JTE protecting mechanisms. The results showed that JTE effectively attenuated the UVB-induced cell injury by reducing the excessive intracellular ROS generation, and inhibiting the expression of apoptotic genes such as Bax, Caspase-3/9. This finding may offer a promising candidate for the prevention of UVB exposure related eye diseases.