Amphibians Unveiled: More Than Just Friends to Humans, Nature's Secret Source of Antioxidant Peptides

Oxidative stress, resulting from an imbalance between the generation and elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS), plays a critical role in the development of numerous diseases. Among these, skin photoaging is a well-recognized condition primarily driven by prolonged ultraviolet (UV) exposure and marked by structural and functional deterioration of the skin. UV-induced ROS accelerate the degradation of macromolecules and impair the skin’s barrier functions, highlighting the need for effective antioxidant interventions. Antioxidant peptides (AOPs), either naturally occurring or synthetically engineered, have shown considerable potential in mitigating ROS-induced cellular damage. Amphibians, due to their highly permeable skin and exposure to complex environmental stressors, represent a rich source of bioactive peptides with strong antioxidant properties. In particular, AOPs isolated from amphibian skin secretions have demonstrated notable efficacy in scavenging ROS and attenuating oxidative damage, offering promising candidates for anti-photoaging therapies. This review provides an integrated overview of ROS generation, the molecular mechanisms linking oxidative stress to skin photoaging, and the emerging biomedical potential of amphibian-derived AOPs. A deeper understanding of their composition and function may facilitate the development of novel peptide-based strategies for managing photoaging and other oxidative stress-related skin disorders.