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Investigating the Effect of Enzymatically-Derived Blackcurrant Extract on Skin Staphylococci Using an In Vitro Human
Marija Ćorović1, Anja Petrov Ivanković2, Ana Milivojević1
1Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Pharmaceutics
|April 26, 2025
Summary
Enzymatic blackcurrant extract (EBCE) shows promise as a topical prebiotic. It effectively inhibits pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus while promoting beneficial coagulase-negative staphylococci, aiding skin microbiome rebalancing.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Dermatology
- Natural Product Chemistry
Background:
- Skin microbiome dysbiosis is linked to various skin diseases.
- Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are crucial for skin homeostasis and pathogen defense.
- Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common cutaneous pathogen.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of polyphenol-rich enzymatic blackcurrant extract (EBCE) on S. aureus and beneficial CoNS.
- To explore EBCE's potential for rebalancing the skin microbiota.
Main Methods:
- Polyphenol profiling of EBCE using ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
- In vitro assays assessing EBCE's impact on S. aureus strains and mixed bacterial cultures in a human stratum corneum model.
- Evaluation of EBCE's effect on CoNS growth in microbiome samples.
Main Results:
- EBCE significantly inhibited S. aureus growth (80-100%) at high concentrations.
- Low EBCE concentrations stimulated S. epidermidis growth (~300-fold increase) and CoNS growth in microbiome samples.
- No microbial growth observed with EBCE in a stratum corneum model with S. aureus and S. epidermidis.
Conclusions:
- EBCE demonstrates antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and a prebiotic effect on CoNS.
- These findings support EBCE as a potential cutaneous prebiotic for topical applications.
- Further human studies are warranted to validate EBCE-enriched topical preparations.
