Efficacy and Safety of Epidermidibacterium Keratini EPI-7 Derived Postbiotics in Skin Aging: A Prospective Clinical Study

Exploration of the Changes in Facial Microbiota of Maskne Patients and Healthy Controls Before and After Wearing Masks Using 16 S rRNA Analysis

Whether in the field of medical care, or in people's daily life and health protection, the importance of masks has been paid more and more attention. Acne, the most common complication after wearing masks, which is also called maskne, has been successfully introduced into the common language as a common topic of dermatologist consultations. This study aims to study the changes of microflora in maskne patients and healthy controls before and after wearing masks. In the summer of 2023, we collected a total of 50 samples from 15 maskne patients and 10 healthy controls before and after wearing surgical masks for a long time. 16 S ribosomal DNA sequencing and identification technology with V3-V4 variable region were adopted to explore the microbiome changes caused by mask wearing, analyze the changes in microbial diversity, and make interaction network. LDA effect size analysis was used to identify which bacteria showed significant changes in their relative abundance from phylum to genus. After wearing a mask, the microbiome of the maskne patients changed significantly more than that of the healthy controls, with both α diversity and β diversity lower than those of maskne patients before wearing masks and those of healthy controls after wearing masks. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that compared with other groups, the network of maskne patients after wearing masks for a long time had the lowest connectivity and complexity, but the highest clustering property, while the opposite was true for healthy controls. Many microbes that are potentially beneficial to the skin decreased significantly after wearing a mask. There was almost no difference in healthy controls before and after wearing a mask.

Postbiotics as candidates in biofilm inhibition in food industries

Food-borne pathogen-related biofilms in food processing environments pose significant risks to human health. To ensure human and environmental safety, natural substances with anti-microbial properties and generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status are the future disinfectants of the food industry. The use of postbiotics in food products is gaining attention due to their many benefits. Postbiotics are soluble substances produced by probiotics or released after their lysis, such as bacteriocins, biosurfactants (BSs), and exopolysaccharides (EPS). Postbiotics have drawn attention because of their clear chemical structure, safety dose parameters, long shelf life, and the content of various signaling molecules, which may have anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities. The main mechanisms of postbiotics to combat biofilm contain suppression of twitching motility, disturbing quorum sensing (QS), and reduction of virulence factors. However, there are obstacles to using these compounds in the food matrix because some factors (temperature and pH) can limit the anti-biofilm impact of postbiotics. Therefore, by using encapsulation or application of these compounds in packaging films, the effect of interfering factors can be eliminated. This review summarizes the concept and safety of postbiotics, focusing on their antibiofilm effect, as well as discussing the encapsulation of postbiotics and their application in packaging films.

Postbiotics: emerging therapeutic approach in diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a prevalent microvascular complication in diabetic patients that poses a serious risk as it can cause substantial visual impairment and even vision loss. Due to the prolonged onset of DR, lengthy treatment duration, and limited therapeutic effectiveness, it is extremely important to find a new strategy for the treatment of DR. Postbiotic is an emerging dietary supplement which consists of the inactivate microbiota and its metabolites. Numerous animal experiments have demonstrated that intervention with postbiotics reduces hyperglycemia, attenuates retinal peripapillary and endothelial cell damage, improves retinal microcirculatory dysfunction, and consequently delays the progression of DR. More strikingly, unlike conventional probiotics and prebiotics, postbiotics with small molecules can directly colonize the intestinal epithelial cells, and exert heat-resistant, acid-resistant, and durable for storage. Despite few clinical significance, oral administration with postbiotics might become the effective management for the prevention and treatment of DR. In this review, we summarized the basic conception, classification, molecular mechanisms, and the advances in the therapeutic implications of postbiotics in the pathogenesis of DR. Postbiotics present great potential as a viable adjunctive therapy for DR.

Skin Deep: The Potential of Microbiome Cosmetics

The interplay between the skin microbiome and its host is a complex facet of dermatological health and has become a critical focus in the development of microbiome cosmetics. The skin microbiome, comprising various microorganisms, is essential from birth, develops over the lifespan, and performs vital roles in protecting our body against pathogens, training the immune system, and facilitating the breakdown of organic matter. Dysbiosis, an imbalance of these microorganisms, has been implicated in a number of skin conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis, and skin cancer. Recent scientific findings have spurred cosmetic companies to develop products that preserve and enhance the skin's microbial diversity balance. These products may incorporate elements like prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, which are beneficial for the skin microbiome. Beyond topical products, there's increasing interest in ingestible beauty supplements (i.e. oral probiotics), highlighting the connection between the gut and skin. This review examines the influence of the microbiome on skin health and the emerging trends of microbiome skincare products.

Interaction between the microbiota and the skin barrier in aging skin: a comprehensive review

The interplay between the microbes and the skin barrier holds pivotal significance in skin health and aging. The skin and gut, both of which are critical immune and neuroendocrine system, harbor microbes that are kept in balance. Microbial shifts are seen with aging and may accelerate age-related skin changes. This comprehensive review investigates the intricate connection between microbe dynamics, skin barrier, and the aging process. The gut microbe plays essential roles in the human body, safeguarding the host, modulating metabolism, and shaping immunity. Aging can perturb the gut microbiome which in turn accentuates inflammaging by further promoting senescent cell accumulation and compromising the host's immune response. Skin microbiota diligently upholds the epidermal barrier, adeptly fending off pathogens. The aging skin encompasses alterations in the stratum corneum structure and lipid content, which negatively impact the skin's barrier function with decreased moisture retention and increased vulnerability to infection. Efficacious restoration of the skin barrier and dysbiosis with strategic integration of acidic cleansers, emollients with optimal lipid composition, antioxidants, and judicious photoprotection may be a proactive approach to aging. Furthermore, modulation of the gut-skin axis through probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics emerges as a promising avenue to enhance skin health as studies have substantiated their efficacy in enhancing hydration, reducing wrinkles, and fortifying barrier integrity. In summary, the intricate interplay between microbes and skin barrier function is intrinsically woven into the tapestry of aging. Sound understanding of these interactions, coupled with strategic interventions aimed at recalibrating the microbiota and barrier equilibrium, holds the potential to ameliorate skin aging. Further in-depth studies are necessary to better understand skin-aging and develop targeted strategies for successful aging.

A proof of concept: Clinical anti-aging efficacy and safety of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LB244R® applied topically in a double-blinded placebo-controlled study

BACKGROUND

With the increasing age of the westernized population, there is also increasing economic and aesthetic interest in reducing the signs of skin aging. Additionally, the physical aspect of aging can be displeasing and have detrimental effects psychologically in individuals. Probiotics have shown potential as anti-aging agents, albeit proper studies are needed to confirm their potential.

AIMS

Proving that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LB244R® could alleviate aging signs relative to its placebo vehicle.

PATIENTS/METHODS

In total, 46 subjects were randomly assigned either the ointment with live bacteria, L. plantarum LB244R® or its vehicle ointment, and had to use the assigned ointment twice daily for 56 days. On Day 0, Day 28, and Day 56 subepidermal low echogenic band (SLEB) thickness, dermal density, skin firmness and elasticity, skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin pH, collagen fiber visualization using confocal microscopy, Crow's feet, spot score, skin smoothness, and complexion radiance were assessed by dermatologists.

RESULTS

All parameters except TEWL improved relative to their baseline (D0) for the active group. L. plantarum LB244R® improved SLEB thickness, dermal density, skin elasticity, skin hydration, and Crow's feet wrinkle score relative to the placebo vehicle ointment.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates an anti-aging effect of L. plantarum LB244R® for topical skin use in the first double-blinded, vehicle-ointment placebo-controlled clinical study.

Research on the anti-aging efficacy of fermented lysate VHProbi® MixA as the functional skincare ingredient

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a cream containing VHProbi® MixA for improving skin aging.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In vitro studies demonstrated that the lysate produced from Lacticaseibacillus paracasei E12 (E12) exhibited immunoregulatory effects in a 3D skin model, with significant reductions in levels of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, and IL-8 (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. In addition, the lysate of E12 mitigated the hydrogen peroxide-induced mortality of 3D skin cells and enhanced the transepithelial electrical resistance to show significant differences in comparison with control (P < 0.05), suggesting favorable antioxidant effects. The antioxidant capacity of the lysate of E12 was also confirmed using the Caenorhabditis elegans N2 model. C. elegans N2 fed the E12 strain showed a significantly higher % survival than those fed Escherichia coli OP50 (P < 0.05). Subsequently, VHProbi® MixA was formulated using the fermented lysates of E12, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum E15, and Limosilactobacillus reuteri E18. In a clinical study to ascertain if a cream containing VHProbi® MixA could improve the skin aging trends, participants were asked to use the investigational products for 60 days, and six indicators, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), hydration, elasticity, wrinkles, skin texture (roughness), and pores were measured at baseline and the endpoint of the study. A self-evaluation questionnaire analysis was also provided. TEWL, wrinkles, skin texture, and thickness of pores decreased significantly after treatment with the cream for 60 days (P < 0.01), whereas hydration and elasticity increased significantly (P < 0.01), in comparison to the baseline measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

We hypothesize that the use of the cream containing VHProbi® MixA could be favorable for skin anti-aging management.