Extracellular vesicles, which are highly conserved in most cells, contain biologically active substances. The vesicles and substances interact with cells and impact physiological mechanisms. The skin is the most external organ and is in direct contact with the external environment. Photoaging and skin damage are caused by extrinsic factors. The formation of wrinkles is a major indicator of skin aging and is caused by a decrease in collagen and hyaluronic acid. MMP-1 expression is also increased. Due to accruing damage, skin aging reduces the ability of the skin barrier, thereby lowering the skin’s ability to contain water and increasing the amount of water loss. L. plantarum suppresses various harmful bacteria by secreting an antimicrobial substance. L. plantarum is also found in the skin, and research on the interactions between the bacteria and the skin is in progress. Although several studies have investigated L. plantarum, there are only a limited number of studies on extracellular vesicles (EV) derived from L. plantarum, especially in relation to skin aging. Herein, we isolated EVs that were secreted from L. plantarum of women in their 20s (LpEVs). We then investigated the effect of LpEVs on skin aging in CCD986sk. We showed that LpEVs modulated the mRNA expression of ECM related genes in vitro. Furthermore, LpEVs suppressed wrinkle formation and pigmentation in clinical trials. These results demonstrated that LpEVs have a great effect on skin aging by regulating ECM related genes. In addition, our study offers important evidence on the depigmentation effect of LpEVs.
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based hydrogels are generally superabsorbent and biocompatible, but their low mechanical strength limits their application. To overcome these drawbacks, we used bacterial succinoglycan (SG), a biocompatible natural polysaccharide, as a double crosslinking strategy to produce novel interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels in a non-bead form. These new SG/CMC-based IPN hydrogels significantly increased the mechanical strength while maintaining the characteristic superabsorbent property of CMC-based hydrogels. The SG/CMC gels exhibited an 8.5-fold improvement in compressive stress and up to a 6.5-fold higher storage modulus (G′) at the same strain compared to the CMC alone gels. Furthermore, SG/CMC gels not only showed pH-controlled drug release for 5-fluorouracil but also did not show any cytotoxicity to HEK-293 cells. This suggests that SG/CMC hydrogels could be used as future biomedical biomaterials for drug delivery.
In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytoprotective activities of ethanol extract and the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of P. kleinianaWight & Arn.. The EtOAc fraction exhibited antimicrobial effects against most of the microorganisms that were tested, including Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and, Escherichia coli, but not Aspergillus niger. In addition to its excellent antioxidant activity, the EtOAc fraction attenuated the UVB-induced cell death via upregulation of caspase-3 expression in human keratinocytes. The HPLC/ESI-MS/MS analysis allowed identification of the components in the EtOAc fraction. Overall, our results suggest that P. kleiniana is a valuable source of bioactive compounds for the development of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Non-invasive skin penetration of a drug is increased by an edge activator, which enhances the nanoliposome deformability. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of the alkyl chain number of sucrose surfactants as an edge activator in elastic nanoliposomes. In addition, the physicochemical properties of the elastic nanoliposomes were characterized and an in vitro human skin permeation study was performed. Elastic nanoliposomes that were composed of sucrose monostearate (MELQ), sucrose distearate (DELQ), and sucrose tristearte (TELQ) were prepared using a thin-film hydration method. Particle size and entrapment efficiency of elastic nanoliposomes increased proportionally with an increase in the amounts and the numbers of the stearate in sucrose surfactant. Deformability of elastic nanoliposomes was indicated as DELQ > MELQ > TELQ and the same pattern was revealed through the in vitro human skin permeability tests. These results suggest that the number of alkyl chains of sucrose surfactant as edge activator affects the physicochemical property, stability, and skin permeability in elastic nanoliposome. Our findings give a valuable platform for the development of elastic nanoliposomes as skin drug delivery systems.
Whitening materials cannot easily cross the skin barrier (stratum corneum) to reach melanocytes in the basal layer for inhibiting melanin production. This study aims to construct a novel deformable liposome using polyglyceryl‐3‐methylglucose distearate as an edge activator and a hydrogel containing hyaluronic acid (HA) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), as well as to investigate the synergistic effect of this system on the delivery of a cysteine derivative, methyl‐2‐acetylamino‐3‐(4‐hydroxyl‐3,5‐dimethoxybenzoylthio)propanoate (MP) as a whitening agent. The optimized deformable liposome (DL2) contains 10% edge activator and has a particle size of 78.2 ± 2.7 nm, a zeta potential of −29.9 ± 1.8 mV, a polydispersity index of 0.248, and an entrapment efficiency of 90.7 ± 1.7%. MP‐loaded DL2 has higher stability and deformability than DL2 without MP, as well as exerting a higher whitening effect than that observe with MP alone. In addition, MP‐loaded DL2 is incorporated into a hydrogel in a dual drug‐delivery system and the stability after hydrogel incorporation is evaluated. In Franz cells, the MP‐loaded deformable liposome‐hydrogel complex shows the highest skin permeation and penetration of MP.
Practical Applications: In general, it is very difficult for whitening agents to penetrate a skin layer for reducing skin pigmentation. It is important to transfer whitening agents to the basal layer without causing physical damage to the skin. Deformable liposomes containing 10% polyglyceryl‐3‐methylglucose distearate in a hydrogel complex maximize the skin permeation of a cysteine derivative as a whitening agent. This finding indicates that the deformable liposome‐hydrogel complex is a potential delivery system for treatment of skin hyperpigmentation.
The penetration mechanism of drugs in the skin by deformable liposome‐hydrogel complexes is as follows: Hydrogel hydrates stratum corneum to secure the route of drugs or nanocarrier permeation. polyglyceryl‐3‐methylglucose distearate as an edge activator enhances the fluidity of the stratum corneum lipid layer and the deformability of liposome. The edge activator‐based deformable liposomes pass through the stratum corneum stably.
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