Enhancement of anti-acne effect of Scutellaria baicalensis extract by fermentation with symbiotic fungus Penicillium decumbens

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2020.06.008
• Publication Date: 2020-07-31T21:40:16Z
• Authors: Xiaojing Zhu; Yue Mao; Miaomiao Guo; Haiyuan Yu; Liling Hao; Qiang Hua; Zhi Lu; Minhua Hong; Faliang An
• Keywords: Wogonin; Propionibacterium Acnes; Naringin; Baicalin

Inflammatory responses stimulated by Propionibacterium acnes have been shown to be major etiological factors in the pathogenesis of acne. Scutellaria baicalensis, a popular traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, primary component analysis and primary effective component analysis were conducted. The results showed that wogonin (1.15 mg/g S. baicalensis extract) possessed better anti-acne effects than wogonoside (8.71 mg/g S. baicalensis extract) in inhibiting the up-regulation of IL-1β and IL-8 level caused by P. acnes via inactivation of the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. To enhance the anti-acne effects of S. baicalensis extract, an environmentally friendly and healthy plant fermentation strategy was used to efficiently convert glycoside-type constituents into bioactive aglycone. S. baicalensis extract was fermented by symbiotic fungus Penicillium decumbens f3-1 to transform wogonoside into wogonin with a conversion rate of 91.0% after 4 days. Fermented S. baicalensis extract (FSE) showed higher potential anti-acne effects than non-fermented S. baicalensis extract (NSE) by inhibiting the up-regulation of IL-1β and IL-8. Thus, P. decumbens-fermented S. baicalensis Extract may be used for developing new anti-acne cosmetic ingredients.