Kamut sprouts (KaS) contain several biologically active compounds. In this study, solid-state fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Latilactobacillus sakei was used to ferment KaS (fKaS-ex) for 6 days. The fKaS-ex showed a 26.3 mg/g dried weight (dw) and 46.88 mg/g dw of polyphenol and the β-glucan contents, respectively. In the Raw264.7 and HaCaT cell lines, the non-fermented KaS (nfKaS-ex) decreased cell viability from 85.3% to 62.1% at concentrations of 0.63 and 2.5 mg/mL, respectively. Similarly, the fKaS-ex decreased cell viability, but showed more than 100% even at 1.25 and 5.0 mg/mL concentrations, respectively. The anti-inflammatory effect of fKaS-ex also increased. At 600 µg/mL, the fKaS-ex exhibited a significantly higher ability to reduce cytotoxicity by suppressing COX-2 and IL-6 mRNA expressions as well as that for IL-1β mRNA. In summary, fKaS-ex exhibited significantly lower cytotoxicity and increased anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, indicating that fKaS-ex is beneficial for use in food and other industries.

Among the microorganisms present in the microbiome of Camellia japonica flowers, extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from Leuconostoc mesenteroides were isolated to investigate their modulatory effects on moisturizing and barrier-related molecular markers. To identify the function of major proteins in L. mesenteroides DB-21-derived extracellular vesicles (LEVs), Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed, revealing ATP binding, ribosomal structural proteins, and metal ion binding as predominant molecular-function categories. These proteomic characteristics provide a molecular context that supports the interpretation of the moisturizing and barrier-related responses observed in this study. To further verify new findings, we performed functional evaluations using in vitro and 3D skin models. LEVs increased the mRNA expression level of HAS3, which encodes hyaluronic acid synthase. In addition, the expression levels of filaggrin and involucrin, key proteins involved in skin barrier formation, increased, and these markers were determined a concentration-dependent increase in a 3D artificial skin model. Also, we confirmed that the expression levels of filaggrin and involucrin, which were reduced by UVB damage, were restored when LEVs were applied. In conclusion, LEVs are effective in enhancing various molecular markers related to the skin barrier function, and these results reveal that they hold promise as next-generation microbiome-based functional ingredients.

Skin photoaging is largely driven by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, which contributes to chronic inflammation and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. This study investigated the protective effects of paeonol against UVB-induced cellular senescence in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFn). Repeated UVB irradiation was used to induce premature senescence. Paeonol treatment reduced the senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) positive cells and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Paeonol also reduced the expression of senescence-associated cell cycle regulators, including p21 and p16 at the mRNA level and the protein level. In addition, paeonol suppressed matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) production but did not significantly restore type I procollagen secretion. Paeonol also attenuated the expression and secretion of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors inter-leukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). These effects were accompanied by reduced phosphorylation of JNK and c-Jun. Furthermore, activation of JNK signaling with anisomycin partially reversed the paeonol-mediated suppression of MMP-1 mRNA expression, supporting the involvement of JNK signaling in the regulation of MMP-1. Collectively, these findings suggest that paeonol attenuates multiple features of UVB-induced cellular senescence in HDFn cells, with JNK signaling potentially contributing to its inhibitory effect on MMP-1 expression. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying these effects and establish their physiological relevance in UVA-based and in vivo models.