by CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research
Inflammation is a biological process through which our body tries to respond to harmful stimuli, through the direct action of the immune system, enzymes and inflammatory mediators. Inflammation of the skin is usually characterized by redness, swelling, itching and often a rash, common in the different types of dermatitis, inflammatory acne and rosacea, that affect millions of people around the world.
Controlling the skin's inflammatory process is a growing challenge for the cosmetics industry, which is seeking answers to health and well-being needs as well as aesthetic and self-esteem issues.
This growing demand for cosmetic products to treat conditions such as rosacea and inflammatory acne, and for topical medicines to relieve and treat the most diverse manifestations of skin inflammation, has motivated the scientific community to search for alternative ingredients of natural origin that are effective, innovative and at the same time sustainable.
The study carried out in the context of the doctoral work of student Janaina Morone from CIIMAR's Blue Biotechnology, Environment and Health research group and demonstrates that the carotenoid profile of cyanobacteria is efficient in reducing the production of inflammatory response mediators and emphasizes the high value for biotechnological application of cyanobacterial extracts rich in carotenoids in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.
The resulting article, "Carotenoids from cyanobacteria modulate iNOS and inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators: Promising agents for the treatment of inflammatory conditions," has been published in Algal Research.
An innovative and sustainable bio-resource
When it comes to innovative, effective extracts of natural and sustainable origin, "cyanobacteria fulfill all these requirements as a bio-resource, which motivated us to explore their ability to act in the area of inflammation," says Morone, first author of this work. It was in this context that she decided to explore different strains of cyanobacteria from the Cape Verde archipelago for cosmetic application.
According to the study, these cyanobacteria have a very characteristic carotenoid profile, dominated by the well-known zeaxanthin and β-carotene, which give their extracts the ability to modulate the inflammatory process on two levels: settling and preventing inflammation. Thus, it is able to calm a state of inflammation that has already set in by sequestering free radicals and inhibiting enzymes responsible for the production of inflammatory mediators.
In addition, these compounds are able to act at the root of the problem, inhibiting the expression of enzymes responsible for the production of nitric oxide, a key mediator in the inflammatory process.
According to Graciliana Lopes, a co-author, who is also a researcher in the Blue Biotechnology, Environment and Health group at CIIMAR, who led the development of this work, says, "The cyanobacteria of marine origin from the Cape Verde archipelago evaluated in this study are producers of pigments with anti-inflammatory activity, with great potential for use in various cosmetic conditions where there is an associated inflammatory condition, such as rosacea, inflammatory acne and different types of dermatitis."
In addition to their recognized potential, these extracts meet other highly desirable criteria for the dermatology industry and, above all, the cosmetics industry, as they are natural, sustainably produced and vegan ingredients, characteristics that are highly sought after by major cosmetics brands around the world.
Finally, they answer other practical questions such as the reproducibility of their extracts, biocompatibility and the ability to reuse biomass to obtain new ingredients, which ultimately makes the whole production process environmentally friendly and economically very attractive.
What about toxicity?
There is an established idea that the compounds produced by cyanobacteria have some degree of toxicity. However, this is not entirely true: a significant number of cyanobacteria do not produce toxins, but instead produce compounds that can be applied with complete safety in food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical or cosmetic products.
The cyanobacterial strains in this study are not toxin-producing, nor did they show toxicity to the different cell lines tested, which is a good indicator of their safety and opens the door to new studies for these applications.
The strains from Cape Verde analyzed in this study are now kept in CIIMAR's LEGE-CC cyanobacteria and microalgae culture collection.
What does the future hold?
These results pave the way for further studies, particularly "better elucidation of the mechanism of action of these extracts in model organisms, and assessment of their stability when incorporated into a formulation, which could broaden their range of applications, both cosmetically and pharmacologically," explain the researchers, who also highlight the immense potential of cyanobacteria for these and other uses.
"Cyanobacteria are 'green refineries' that produce a multitude of compounds with biotechnological applications of great interest. In addition to the carotenoids highlighted here, cyanobacteria produce a large number of other secondary metabolites with proven anti-inflammatory activity, including some phenolic compounds," explains Morone.
Lopes reinforces this point of view: "Marine resources are currently the best answer to the growing demand for innovative molecules and natural ingredients with applications in different areas of health and well-being.
"It is marine biotechnology that allows us to explore and utilize these resources in a sustainable way to produce innovative products that meet the needs of a population that is increasingly attentive to quality of life and sustainability, and which is constantly growing. The future is Blue!"