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

Abstract

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.

Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938—A comparative study on the effect of probiotics and lysates on human skin

“…On the other hand, the importance of the normal resident skin flora cannot be understated and the importance of a balanced microbiota. Some research has shown how topical products can have a positive selective effect on the skin microbiota, for example a small study in humans demonstrated that Lactobacillus brevis cell‐free extract promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria such as S. epidermidis in subjects with dry skin while another showed how under certain growth conditions a commensal strain of S. epidermidis can suppress the growth of C. acnes , thus raising its potential in the treatment of acne . Although the results from this study are promising, human clinical studies, evaluating the safety and efficacy of topically applied L. reuteri DSM 17938 after repeated applications will be critical for understanding its interaction with an effect on the skin microbiota and what are its benefits.…”

Elucidation of complexity and prediction of interactions in microbial communities

“…Probiotics consists of individual beneficial microorganisms or combinations thereof (Gibson et al ., ). Probiotics can be either consumed or applied topically and have been shown to confer positive effects in a variety of areas of human health (Holz et al ., ). Natural probiotics have a long history of success in human gut health and have shown promise in treating inflammatory bowel disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, allergies, urogenital problems and skin imbalances (Nakatsuji et al ., ).…”

“…Natural probiotics have a long history of success in human gut health and have shown promise in treating inflammatory bowel disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, allergies, urogenital problems and skin imbalances (Nakatsuji et al ., ). However, administration of probiotics does not necessary re‐establish the microbiota to ‘normal’ levels (Petschow et al ., ; Holz et al ., ). Currently, there is still a lack of understanding about the mode of action and collateral effects of probiotic treatment on human health.…”

Probiotics in Extraintestinal Diseases: Current Trends and New Directions

“…Indeed, it has been reported that L. brevis DSM17250 secrets a peptide that stimulates proliferation of S. epidermidis . As a result, L. brevis DSM17250 supplementation may have indirect antimicrobial effects on skin pathogens [43]. Other probiotic strains have been reported to inhibit P. acnes directly.…”