Epigallocatechin Gallate Enzymatic Alpha Glucosylation Potentiates Its Skin-Lightening Activity-Involvement of Skin Microbiota.

(1) Background: Ultraviolet radiation takes part in photoaging and pigmentation disorders on skin. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a well-known brightening and photoprotective compound but it faces limitations in terms of stability and solubility. (2) Methods: A more stable and water-soluble glucoside called EGCG-G1 was obtained by enzymatic glucosylation of EGCG.

Facial pore refining by targeting dermal and epidermal functions: Assessment across age and gender.

Background: Conspicuous facial pores are benign but represent a cosmetic concern for men and women. Recent works described dermal and epidermal impairments as clinical causes of enlarged pores. Morphological modifications of skin at the site of pores were associated with collagen density loss, possible alteration of extracellular matrix and abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes.

A highly soluble form of rutin for instant resolution of mask-wearing related disorders.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a new normal, necessitating the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) like face shields, surgical masks, gloves, and goggles. However, prolonged mask-wearing introduced skin-related issues due to changes in the skin's microenvironment, including increased humidity and temperature, as well as pressure on the skin. These factors led to skin deformation, vascular issues, edema, and inflammation, resulting in discomfort and cosmetic concerns.

Enzymatic Synthesis of α-Glucosyl-Baicalin through Transglucosylation via Cyclodextrin Glucanotransferase in Water.

Baicalin is a biologically active flavone glucuronide with poor water solubility that can be enhanced via glucosylation. In this study, the transglucosylation of baicalin was successfully achieved with CGTases from sp. and using α-cyclodextrin as a glucosyl donor.

Extract, with a Melatonin-like Activity, Protects against Digital Stress and Reverses Signs of Aging.

Digital stress is a newly identified cosmetic stress that is mainly characterized by blue light exposure. The effects of this stress have become increasingly important with the emergence of personal digital devices, and its deleterious effects on the body are now well-known. Blue light has been observed to cause perturbation of the natural melatonin cycle and skin damage similar to that from UVA exposure, thus leading to premature aging.

Targeting SDF-1 as an efficient strategy to resolve skin hyperpigmentation issues with Himanthalia elongata extract.

Background: During aging, human skin is facing hyperpigmentation disorders: senile lentigo (chronobiologic aging) leads to loss of melanogenesis' control while solar lentigo (UV exposure) promotes an increase of oxidized proteins, melanogenesis, and lipofuscin.

Aims: Stromal-cell-derived-factor-1 (SDF-1) was identified as key regulator of hyperpigmentation and its expression is reduced in senescent fibroblasts, highlighting this protein as new target for skin hyperpigmentation.

Materials: We developed two skin explant models mimicking of senile and solar lentigo, based on H O systemic treatment and UV irradiation, respectively.

Action of Leaf Extract on Acne-Prone Skin through Sebum Harmonization and Targeting .

(1) Background: Preclinical studies report that the ethanolic fraction from Mangifera indica leaves is a potential anti-acne agent. Nevertheless, the biological activity of Mangifera indica leaves has scarcely been investigated, and additional data are needed, especially in a clinical setting, for establishing the actual effectiveness of Mangifera indica extract as an active component of anti-acne therapy. (2) Methods: The evaluation of the biological activity of Mangifera indica extract was carried out through different experimental phases, which comprised in silico, in vitro, ex vivo and clinical evaluations.

Bacterial taxa predictive of hyperpigmented skins.

Background And Aims: Dark spots, brown spots, or hyperpigmented spots (HPS) are oval or irregular brown areas of skin. Their emergence is associated with dysregulation of the immune system, and may also be caused by a deficiency in stromal cell-derived factor-1, leading to perturbed melanogenesis and accumulation of melanosomes within neighboring keratinocytes. The skin microbiota (living microorganisms present on the surface of the skin) is known to play essential roles in maintaining skin homeostasis and in regulating the immune system.

Mannose-6-phosphate complex and improvement in biomechanical properties of the skin.

Background: The dermis is composed of a tangle of macromolecules that provides the skin its biomechanical properties. During chronological aging, fibroblasts lose their ability to synthesize collagen and an accumulation of matrix metalloproteinases leads to an increase in collagen degradation. As a result, there is a decline in the biomechanical properties of the skin.

Overall renewal of skin lipids with Vetiver extract for a complete anti-ageing strategy.

Objective: Skin lipids are essential in every compartment of the skin where they play a key role in various biological functions. Interestingly, their role is central in the maintenance of hydration which is related to skin barrier function and in the skin structure through adipose tissue. It is well described today that skin lipids are affected by ageing giving skin sagging, wrinkles and dryness.

Well-aging: A new strategy for skin homeostasis under multi-stressed conditions.

Background: Several studies evidenced significant increase of cortisol is the consequence of UV or emotional stress and leads to various deleterious effects in the skin.

Aim: The well-aging, a new concept of lifestyle, procures an alternative to the anti-aging strategy. We demonstrated that Tephrosia purpurea extract is able to stimulate well-being hormones while reducing cortisol release.

Conformation changes in human hair keratin observed using confocal Raman spectroscopy after active ingredient application.

Objective: In hair care cosmetic products' evaluation, one commonly used method is to evaluate the hair appearance as a gold standard in order to determine the effect of an active ingredient on the final state of the hair via visual appreciation. Although other techniques have been proposed for a direct analysis of the hair fibres, they give only surface or structural information, without any accurate molecular information. A different approach based on confocal Raman spectroscopy has been proposed for tracking in situ the molecular change in the keratin directly in the human hair fibres.

From stem cells protection to skin microbiota balance: Orobanche rapum extract, a new natural strategy.

Background: Healthy skin is a delicate balance between skin renewal and microbiota homeostasis, and its imbalance promotes premature aging and dermatological disorders. Skin stem cells are key actors in this process but their sensitivity to aging and external stressors such as UV reduces the skin renewal power. The skin microbiota has been recently described as active in the healthy skin, and its imbalance could trigger some disorders.

Reactivating the extracellular matrix synthesis of sulfated glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans to improve the human skin aspect and its mechanical properties.

Background: The aim of this study was to demonstrate that a defined cosmetic composition is able to induce an increase in the production of sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs) and/or proteoglycans and finally to demonstrate that the composition, through its combined action of enzyme production and synthesis of macromolecules, modulates organization and skin surface aspect with a benefit in antiaging applications.

Materials And Methods: Gene expression was studied by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using normal human dermal fibroblasts isolated from a 45-year-old donor skin dermis. De novo synthesis of sGAGs and proteoglycans was determined using Blyscan™ assay and/or immunohistochemical techniques.

Trihydroxybenzoic acid glucoside as a global skin color modulator and photo-protectant.

Background: 3,4,5-Trihydroxybenzoic acid glucoside (THBG), a molecule produced by an original biocatalysis-based technology, was assessed in this study with respect to its skin photoprotective capacity and its skin color control property on Asian-type skin at a clinical level and on skin explant culture models.

Methods: The double-blinded clinical study was done in comparison to a vehicle by the determination of objective color parameters thanks to recognized quantitative and qualitative analysis tools, including Chroma-Meter, VISIA-CR™, and SIAscope™. Determination of L* (brightness), a* and b* (green-red and blue-yellow chromaticity coordinates), individual typology angle, and C* (chroma) and h* (hue angle) parameters using a Chroma-Meter demonstrated that THBG is able to modify skin color while quantification of ultraviolet (UV) spots by VISIA-CR™ confirmed its photoprotective effect.

Combination of new multifunctional molecules for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea disorder.

Background: Rosacea, a common chronic skin disorder, is currently managed by patient education, pharmacological drugs, medical devices (laser and light therapies), and use of proper skin cares. Unfortunately, none of these actual treatments used alone or in combination is curative, and so we proposed a dermocosmetic active ingredient to mitigate some aspects of the rosacea and particularly for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea.

Methods: Dermocosmetic active ingredient is composed of three glucosylated derivatives of natural plants hydroxybenzoic acid and hydroxycinnamic acids (rosmarinic acid, gallic acid, and caffeic acid).

Opioid receptor delta as a global modulator of skin differentiation and barrier function repair.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to confirm the properties of selective agonist peptide (Rubixyl) contained in the spinach towards opioid receptor delta. In fact, agonist properties of both spinach peptides (Rubiscolin-5 and Rubixyl) towards opioid receptor delta were demonstrated by Zang et al., but their effects on the other opioid receptors were not studied [1].

Improvement of polyphenol properties upon glucosylation in a UV-induced skin cell ageing model.

Objective: Polyphenols are strong antioxidant molecules allowing prevention of skin photo-ageing damages, but their use is limited due to low solubility and toxicity towards skin cells. We postulated that enzymatic glucosylation could improve their solubility, stability and, consequently, their efficacy. The aim of this work was to study changes induced by addition of a glucose moiety on two polyphenols displaying very different chemical structures [caffeic acid (CA), epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and there glucosylated form, Glc-CA and Glc-EGCG] by assessing their cytotoxic properties and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Drugs from hidden bugs: their discovery via untapped resources.

The drug discovery process is a starving machine requiring constant feeding with new chemical compounds. Synthetic or natural scaffolds: what are the best sources? While synthetic molecules are rapidly generated by combinatorial chemistry, they show lower chemical diversity than their natural counterparts. A significant fraction of known natural products is issued from microbial secondary metabolism; however, more than 95% of bacterial organisms remain unexploited as a source of active chemical compounds due to their cultivation difficulties.

Study of the cryotolerance of Lactobacillus acidophilus: effect of culture and freezing conditions on the viability and cellular protein levels.

Slow cooling rate and pre-freezing stress brings about a high increase in the cell resistance and preservation of their physiological characteristics. A brutal decrease in temperature (from 37 degrees C to - 80 degrees C) causes a considerable loss of cell viability, in contrast a slow one preserves a survival rate of 75%. Pre-incubation of cells at low temperature (22 degrees C) during 6 h led to the development of cryotolerance indicated by an enhanced capacity to survive after a freezing treatment of 24 h at - 80 degrees C.

Reversible enzymic protection of the alpha-amino group of amino acid derivatives using an aminopeptidase A.

In previous papers we have reported that an aminopeptidase A (EC 3.4.11.

Purification and characterization of an aminopeptidase A from Staphylococcus chromogenes and its use for the synthesis of amino-acid derivatives and dipeptides.

An aminopeptidase with original specificity was purified 3800-fold to homogeneity from a cellular extract of Staphylococcus chromogenes. The enzyme was specific for acidic amino acids (Asp and Glu) at the N-terminus of peptides and thus can be classified as an aminopeptidase A. However, its specificity was not restricted to acidic amino acids: alpha-hydroxy acids such as L-malic and L-lactic acids were also accepted in position P1.

Synthesis of amino-acid derivatives and dipeptides with an original peptidase enzyme.

A peptidase from the non pathogenic Staphylococcus sp. strain BEC 299 was purified to a final specific activity of 84,400 U/mg protein. Its molecular weight is 450 kDa and optimum pH 10.