Those who know them call them heroes at work. Or a perfect example of natural symbiosis. Most plants cannot live without them. And now they revolutionize the development and production of cosmetic active ingredients – but who are those microorganisms called Endophytes? Here’s an introduction …
Just as the world operates as a vast, interconnected network on a global scale, in the intricate complex fabric of an ecosystem, plants, animals, and microorganisms maintain various interkingdom symbiotic relationships that are essential for the balance and vitality of the entire system. Endophytic relationships, where microorganisms reside within the tissues of plants, contribute significantly to the health and resilience of the ecosystem. These microscopic inhabitants play pivotal roles in nutrient cycling, disease resistance, and overall ecosystem stability, showcasing the delicate balance and interdependence that define the natural world.
Microorganisms and symbiosis
Microorganisms exist throughout different forms and kingdoms such as Monera Kingdom, to which beneficial bacteria belong, and the Fungi kingdom, to which beneficial yeasts belong. Such microorganisms can live in synergy with other kingdoms. After watching the film “Finding Nemo”, we all know about the symbiotic relationship between an anemone and a clownfish – they are two organisms benefiting from each other: the anemone provides the shelter, while the clownfish provides the anemone nutrients in the form of waste while also scaring off potential predator fish. Lichen is a symbiotic association between algae and fungi. Alga is the source of food as it can synthesise food for this simple symbiotic association and the fungus absorbs water and minerals for the algae. And intensively discussed in our industry lately – the microbiome of our skin and its importance for the skin’s health.
Endophytes and their natural origin
Endophytes are microorganisms as well and they live in synergy with plants. In fact, they live inside the plants promoting beneficial effects on the plants growths and development. Since they have the ability to synthesise bioactive phytochemicals, endophytes help plants to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses. They are part of the plant microbiota of and are found in all plant tissues (roots, stems, leaves, flowers…) across all major plant lineages. However, Endophytes can be different from plant to plant and each strain (species) synthesises its own compounds to support the plant. It is estimated that each plant species contains 2–16 endophyte organisms (or even 100s). Considering the 350 000 species of higher plants known to date, there are potentially millions of endophyte organisms. Most of them are yet to be discovered and they are a great source for the development of new active ingredients.
The Triplobiome Technology
As said before, Endophytes have the capacity to produce a wide range of bioactive compounds. In combination with its ability to grow under controlled conditions, Endophytes are ideal candidates to develop a biomimicry-based strategy to identify novel natural sources for the sustainable development of cosmetic actives. Hence Provital has developed Triplobiome – a novel platform for the discovery and biotechnological production of plant endophytes as a source for innovative cosmetic actives. The idea of this platform is to isolate active ingredients from these microorganisms because they have successfully engineered the synthesis of compounds that are useful to the plant in a huge number of physiological processes. It is considered a sustainable alternative to standard ingredient development while mitigating plant exploitation.
First cosmetic active ingredient based on Endophytes
Shiloxome is the very first active ingredient that Provital is presenting to the world based on its Triplobiome technology. It is a 100% traceable, eco-responsible and biotechnologically obtained ingredient that encompasses everything that the Triplobiome concept represents. Shiloxome is the result of the isolation of the endophytic yeast Kwoniella mangroviensis from the inside of the bark of the cork oak (Quercus suber). It is an incomparably shielding ingredient that – thanks to its symbiotic provenance – provides the skin with the capacity to adapt, survive, and protect itself. It has a special focus on the lipid barrier integrity, ensuring optimal moisture retention and epidermal function.
A first-of-its-kind analysis of the skin’s lipidome:
But Provital went far beyond the ordinary Barrier Care for the well-ageing (and menopausal) consumer. By incorporating new lipid-enhancing mechanisms for the stratum corneum, the ingredient actively works to replenish the lipid barrier, bolster moisture retention, and enhance the skin’s elasticity and suppleness. This comprehensive approach not only supports the restoration of a shielding ‘brick & mortar’ function of the lipid barrier but also serves as a potent tool in combating the visible signs of ageing. The stratum corneum (SC) matrix is composed of free fatty acids (FAs), cholesterol, and ceramides (CERs), which play a key role in the skin barrier function. Changes in the composition and content of skin lipids will affect the function of the skin barrier. The aim of Provital’s new lipidomic study is to evaluate the lipidome profile and variation after skin treatment with Shiloxome vs. placebo thus precisely proving how the ingredient helps to improve the skin barrier.To do so, the first layers of the stratum corneum were collected from the cheeks of the same panel of volunteers, by means of the tape stripping procedure before (D0) and after (D56) treatment with placebo on one side of the face, and Shiloxome on the other.Overall, 328 lipids were identified in the 240 samples analysed. Since a total of 114 lipids were found significantly different after treatment with Shiloxome, a bioinformatic analysis was performed with the differentially regulated lipids, to better understand the impact of Shiloxome™ on the skin lipidome. In this regard, two different breakthrough outcomes were found:
- Shiloxome prevents the skin lipids from pollution-induced oxidation Shiloxome increases the total chain length of the lipi- dome Further instrumental studies have been carried out that show that
- Shiloxome improved key parameters related to skin ageing such as: TEWL, glow, evenness, microstructure or skin elasticity.
Conclusion
Considering the role of long chain lipids – including ceramides and especially CER[NS] – in barrier function, together with the fact that particulate matter from polluted environments compromises the skin barrier, Provital’s cutting-edge lipidome analysis strongly suggests that Shiloxome modulates the endogenous lipidome profile towards lipids with longer chains, thus improving the skin barrier’s protective function in polluted environments, and contributing to the restructuring of a youthful and healthy skin.For the first time, skin intelligence is activated via the horizontal transfer of ancestral nature wisdom – thank you Endophytes!
Hagen Döring
Area Sales Manager, Provital S.A., Barcelona, Spain, www.weareprovital.com