The Role of Probiotics in Skin Care: Advances, Challenges, and Future Needs

The skin, being the largest organ in the human body, plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the body against invasive pathogens. Therefore, it is essential to reinforce and protect this vital organ. Current research supports the impact of probiotics on skin health and their ability to alleviate various skin disorders. However, the effectiveness and probable side effects of probiotics in skin care remain a subject of debate, necessitating further investigation and analysis. Hence, this study aims to highlight existing gaps and future needs in the current research on probiotics in skin care and pave the way for future investigations. Therefore, we scrutinized the effects of oral (fermented foods and dietary supplements) and non-oral/topical probiotics on skin care, and the mechanism of probiotics that affect skin health. The results of most studies showed that fermented foods containing probiotics, particularly dairy products, positively impact skin health. The research results regarding the efficacy of probiotic supplements and live strains in treating skin disorders show promising potential. However, safety evaluations are crucial, to identify any potential adverse effects. While research has identified numerous potential mechanisms by which probiotics may influence skin health, a complete understanding of their precise mode of action remains elusive. However, it seems that probiotics can exert their positive effects through the gut-skin and gut-skin-brain axis on the human body. Therefore, following the identification of safe probiotics, additional studies should be carried out to establish optimal dosages, potential side effects, suitable regulatory guidelines, and validation methods.

Evolving Advances in the Cosmetic use of Probiotics and Postbiotics: Health, Regulatory and Marketing Aspects

Ongoing development in cosmetics is increasingly making use of probiotics, which are defined as "live microorganisms with health-enhancing properties mediated through ingestion or topical application to the host". The observation that several bacterial strains augment normal processes of healthy tissue maintenance, particularly for the skin, has opened up new avenues for the use of bacterial strains in cosmetics. A principal feature of such "cosmeceuticals" is an application of increasing insight into the biochemical nature of the skin's normal microbial flora, also called its microbiome. The opportunity of manipulating the skin microbiome to address various skin disorders has revealed novel routes for treatment. The skin microbiome manipulation approaches to address various skin disorders include skin microbiome transplantation, skin bacteriotherapy, and prebiotic stimulation. Research in this field has revealed that medical outcome-targeted manipulation of skin microbiome bacterial strain makeup may significantly increase skin health and appearance. Commercial availability of probiotic skincare products is rapidly expanding worldwide due to satisfactory laboratory results and public perception of probiotics as being intrinsically more wholesome than other bioactive substances, such as synthetics. Major outcomes of probiotic use include a significant reduction in skin wrinkling, acne and other conditions adversely affecting skin appearance and healthy function. Moreover, probiotics may additionally promote normal skin hydration, resulting in a vibrant and lustrous appearance. Nevertheless, significant technical challenges remain for the full optimization of probiotics in cosmetic products. This article summarizes the evolving nature of this field and explores current probiotic research initiatives, along with regulatory aspects and significant challenges in the manufacturing of cosmetics in the context of market expansion for these products.

Postbiotic Metabolite of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PD18 against Periodontal Pathogens and Their Virulence Markers in Biofilm Formation

Alternative methods to reduce infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens and their virulence factors, biofilm formations, have arisen to reduce the pressure on existing or currently developed disinfectants and antimicrobial agents. The current strategies for reducing the severity of periodontal pathogen-caused disease by using beneficial bacteria and their metabolites are highly desirable. Probiotic strains of lactobacilli related to foods from Thai-fermented foods were selected and their postbiotic metabolites (PM) were isolated with inhibitory activity on periodontal pathogens and their biofilm formation. The PM from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PD18 (PD18 PM) with the highest antagonistic effect against Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Prevotella loescheii was selected from 139 Lactobacillus isolates. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) values of PD18 PM against the pathogens ranged from 1:2 to 1:4. The PD18 PM demonstrated the ability to prevent the biofilm formation of S. mutans and P. gingivalis by showing a significant reduction in viable cells, high percentages of biofilm inhibition at 92.95 and 89.68%, and the highest effective contact times at 5 and 0.5 min, respectively. L. plantarum PD18 PM showed potential as a promising natural adjunctive agent to inhibit periodontal pathogens and their biofilms.

Microbiological quality of probiotic products

Microorganisms used as probiotics should meet elementary safety aspects (non-toxicity, absence of antibiotic resistance genes and translocation) and functional/technological aspects (resistance and survival in the acid gastric environment, adhesiveness, stability, and cell viability). Probiotics with the health claim of being a dietary product or a pharmabiotic (drug category) should be clinically tested, validated, documented, and continuously controlled for quality. Important quality parameters include the identification of declared probiotic strains, the number of viable microorganisms (probiotic bacteria and/or fungi), and microbiological purity (absence of specified pathogenic/opportunistic pathogenic bacteria and fungi, and limitation of total unspecified contaminants such as aerobic bacteria, yeasts, and molds). Due to numerous reports of low-quality commercial probiotics marketed for human use, this review discusses the methods used to test the probiotic microorganism content, safety for the intended use, and proven health benefits of those probiotics whose microbiological quality deviates from the manufacturer's stated content, as well as the maintenance of cell viability, i.e., stability of the probiotic during the shelf life. In addition, the adverse effects of probiotics and the potential hazards to the health of the user are addressed.

Host Microbiota Balance in Teenagers with Gum Hypertrophy Concomitant with Acne Vulgaris: Role of Oral Hygiene Associated with Topical Probiotics

Gum hypertrophy is a very frequent condition linked to orthodontic treatment, especially in teenagers, and the same time, about 80% of young adults are affected by acne vulgaris, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, typically treated with antibacterial therapy. The use of probiotics has gained popularity in the medical field, and many studies have demonstrated its effectiveness, such as the positive effects of some bacterial strains belonging to Lactobacillus species. The aim of this study is to document the effect of Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) on facial skin that was randomly observed in two orthodontic patients. We present two case reports of a 14-year-old female patient and a 15-year-old male patient suffering from acne vulgaris who, during fixed orthodontic treatment, showed clinical signs of gingivitis with high values of Full Mouth Plaque Score (FMPS) and Bleeding on Probing (BOP). The patients were treated first with professional oral hygiene sessions and Scaling and Root Planing (SRP) procedures, and then with the administration of a formulate containing L. reuteri as a probiotic. The follow-up was made at four weeks. During the follow-up analysis, both patients showed a significant clinical remission for gum hypertrophy and skin acne vulgaris.

Microbiological Testing of Probiotic Preparations

Probiotic microorganisms that are potentially beneficial to the health of the host are commercially available in a great variety of products. Not all microorganism strains present in products have proven beneficial to the health properties. These products include not only foodstuffs but also dietary supplements, food for special medical purposes, medicinal products, as well as cosmetics and medical devices. These products contain from one to a dozen bacterial strains of the same or different species and sometimes also fungal strains. Since the pro-health effects of probiotics depend on a specific strain, the number of its cells in a dose, and the lack of pathogenic microorganisms, it is extremely important to control the quality of probiotics. Depending on the classification of a given product, its form, and its content of microorganisms, the correct determination of the number of microorganisms and their identification is crucial. This article describes the culture-dependent and culture-independent methods for testing the contents of probiotic microorganisms, in addition to biochemical and genetic methods of identification. The microbiological purity requirements for various product categories are also presented. Due to numerous reports on the low quality of probiotic products available on the market, it is important to standardise research methods for this group of products and to increase the frequency of inspections of these products.

Update of Probiotics in Human World: A Nonstop Source of Benefactions till the End of Time

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known for their biotechnological potential. Moreover, LAB are distinguished by amazing criteria: Adjusting the intestinal environment, inhibiting pathogenic microbes in the gastrointestinal tract, ability to reduce pathogen adhesion activity, improving the balance of the microbiota inside the intestine, capabilities of regulating intestinal mucosal immunity, and maintaining intestinal barrier function. The escalating number of research and studies about beneficial microorganisms and their impact on promoting health has attracted a big interest in the last decades. Since antiquity, various based fermented products of different kinds have been utilized as potential probiotic products. Nevertheless, the current upsurge in consumers' interest in bioalternatives has opened new horizons for the probiotic field in terms of research and development. The present review aims at shedding light on the world of probiotics, a continuous story of astonishing success in various fields, in particular, the biomedical sector and pharmaceutical industry, as well as to display the importance of probiotics and their therapeutic potential in purpose to compete for sturdy pathogens and to struggle against diseases and acute infections. Shadows and future trends of probiotics use are also discussed.

Identification of chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) peptides with enzyme inhibition activity towards skin-aging enzymes

Chia (Salvia hispanica) seed peptides have drawn attention because of their antioxidant, antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory activities, making them ideal candidates for development of cosmeceutical skin products. However, there are no preceding reports that address their aging-related enzyme inhibitory activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in silico inhibitory activity of chia seed peptides towards the main aging-related enzymes. Enzyme-inhibition activity of < 3 kDa chia seed peptides towards collagenase, hyaluronidase, tyrosinase, and elastase was evaluated. Further fractions were obtained by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and re-tested for enzyme inhibitory activity. Peptide sequences were identified from the most effective fraction and used for in silico analysis. The < 3 kDa peptides exhibited inhibitory activities towards elastase (65.32%, IC₅₀ = 0.43 mg/mL), tyrosinase (58.74%, IC₅₀ = 0.66 mg/mL), hyaluronidase (26.96%, IC₅₀ = 1.28 mg/mL), and collagenase (28.90%, IC₅₀ = 1.41 mg/mL). They showed mixed-type inhibition patterns towards elastase and hyaluronidase, while a non-competitive inhibition pattern was observed towards collagenase and tyrosinase. Fraction II obtained by SEC, showed higher enzyme inhibitory activity. Seven peptides were identified in this fraction (APHWYTN, DQNPRSF, GDAHWAY, GDAHWTY, GDAHWVY, GFEWITF, and KKLKRVYV), which according to in silico analysis, possess 19-29 enzyme-peptide pair interactions towards elastase and three peptide sequences shared homology sequence (GDAHW). These results demonstrate that peptides from chia seeds may contribute in the improvement of skin health by offering protection against aging-related enzymes by preventing degradation of the protein matrix on the skin; however, further in vivo studies are needed to evaluate its actual capability.

Potential role of natural bioactive peptides for development of cosmeceutical skin products

In recent years, consumers' demand for cosmeceutical products with protective and therapeutic functions derived from natural sources have caused this industry to search for alternative active ingredients. Bioactive peptides have a wide spectrum of bioactivities, which make them ideal candidates for development of these cosmeceutical products. In vitro studies have demonstrated that bioactive peptides (obtained as extracts, hydrolysates, and/or individual peptides) exhibit biological properties including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities, in addition to their properties of inhibiting aging-related enzymes such as elastase, collagenase, tyrosinase and hyaluronidase. Some studies report multifunctional bioactive peptides that can simultaneously affect, beneficially, multiple physiological pathways in the skin. Moreover, in vivo studies have revealed that topical application or consumption of bioactive peptides possess remarkable skin protection. These properties suggest that bioactive peptides may contribute in the improvement of skin health by providing specific physiological functions, even though the mechanisms underlying the protective effect have not been completely elucidated. This review provides an overview of in vitro, in silico and in vivo properties of bioactive peptides with potential use as functional ingredients in the cosmeceutical field. It also describes the possible mechanisms involved as well as opportunities and challenges associated with their application.

Fabrication of Electrospun Probiotic Functionalized Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Infection Control and Dermal Burn Healing in a Mice Model

The importance of microbiota paves the way to use microbial cells as medicines to treat pathobiomic diseases. This study reported the fabrication of probiotic (Enterococcus mundtii QAUEM2808)-functionalized nanocomposite scaffolds of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(vinylpyrrolidone)/glycerol via electrospinning. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis resolved the living composite structure and supported the encapsulation of E. mundtii throughout the nanostructured (318 ± 12 nm) fibers of bioscaffold membranes. The shelf life evaluation of 4-week-old samples supported that bioscaffolds showed an enhancement in probiotic survival count by 2.78 ± 0.10 log₁₀ colony-forming units (cfu) versus counterpart biodispersion. The swelling and antagonistic evaluation showed that a bioscaffold is degradable in a simulated wound fluid which is essential for activation of probiotic strains to antagonize infection-causing Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. A second-degree contact burn was made on the dorsum of male BALB/c mice (n = 30). The wounds were left open for 2 days to mimic burn contamination, and the mice were randomized into negative (untreated), positive (silver sulfadiazine cream), vehicle (biodispersion and nanoscaffold), and experimental bioscaffold groups (n = 6/group). These treatments were applied on 2, 6, 10, and 14 days postburn. A comparative wound closure, histopathology, and wound microbial evaluation demonstrated that the bioscaffolds accelerate epithelialization, collagen deposition, and hair follicle formation, inhibit harmful bacteria, and provide interference benefits. In particular, the probiotic active bioscaffold membrane could serve as a novel candidate to control infections and speed up the healing of burn wounds.

Role of prebiotics and probiotics in oral health

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the utilisation of pre- and probiotics for oral care and the state of knowledge at this time.

Design/methodology/approach

Pre- and probiotics describe beneficial carbohydrates and microbiota, respectively, for optimal gut health. Carbohydrates provide energy selectively for the gut-friendly bacteria. The use of both carbohydrates and bacteria is, however, being expanded into other areas of the body – including the skin, vagina and oral cavity – for health-related applications.

Findings

There is increased interest in both pre- and probiotics for oral care products. The importance of oral microflora and their selective substrates is discussed against a background of contemporary oral care approaches. The issues and benefits are discussed in this review.

Originality/value

It is clear that consumption of prebiotics and probiotics may play a role as potential prophylactic or therapeutic agents for reducing the presence of organisms in the mouth associated with tooth decay. To confirm a beneficial effect of pre- and probiotics further in vivo studies involving healthy human volunteers should be considered.

Novel bioactive from Lactobacillus brevis DSM17250 to stimulate the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis: a pilot study

Commensal skin microbiota plays an important role in both influencing the immune response of the skin and acting as a barrier against colonisation of potentially pathogenic microorganisms and overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens. Staphylococcus epidermidis is a key constituent of the normal microbiota on human skin. It balances the inflammatory response after skin injury and produces antimicrobial molecules that selectively inhibit skin pathogens. Here we describe Lactobacillus brevis DSM17250 that was identified among hundreds of Lactobacillus strains to exhibit an anti-inflammatory effect in human keratinocytes in vitro and specific stimulatory impact on the growth of S. epidermidis. The aqueous cell-free extract of L. brevis DSM17250 was used in an ointment formulation and tested in a randomized placebo-controlled double blinded human pilot study. Healthy volunteers with diagnosed dry skin were treated for four weeks. The study data shows that L. brevis DSM17250 extract induces re-colonisation of the skin by protective commensal microorganisms as judged from selective bacterial cultivation of surface-associated skin microorganism of the lower leg. Furthermore, the 4 week administration of the L. brevis DSM17250 extract significantly improved the transepidermal water loss value (TEWL), reduced the xerosis cutis symptoms and stinging. The data shows that daily application of L. brevis DSM17250 extract in a topical product significantly improves the microbial skin microbiota by promoting the growth of species which possess beneficial regulatory and protective properties such as S. epidermidis. Restoring the natural skin microbiota leads to significantly improved skin barrier function (as transepidermal water loss) and decrease of xeroderma (xerosis cutis) symptoms (as measured by dry skin area and severity index, DASI). We propose that improving and stabilizing the natural skin microbiota by specifically stimulating the growth of S. epidermidis is an important and novel concept to manage skin diseases associated with microbiota dysbiosis.