Secondary metabolites from halotolerant filamentous fungi as potential topical cosmeceutical ingredients

The use of natural products in cosmetics and pharmacy has risen dramatically in recent years, leading to the overexploitation of flora and fauna worldwide and threatening the environmental sustainability. Microbe-derived components could help to solve the problem due to their independently controllable cultural property. To investigate the potential of microfungi for producing potential novel cosmeceuticals, cerevisterol (1), aloesol (2), 3β,5α,9α-trihydroxyergosta-7,22-diene-6-one (3), and ergosterol peroxide (4) were isolated from the halotolerant fungal strains Penicillium brefeldianum CL6 and Talaromyces sp. S3-Rt-N3. They were then tested for biological properties, including anti-microbial, tyrosinase inhibitory, and wound healing activities. The results revealed the wound-healing potentials of two fungal compounds - (1) and (2) - in terms of cell proliferation promotion in NIH-3T3 murine fibroblasts, and the tyrosinase inhibitory potential of fungal compounds (1), (3), and (4) in the substrates L-tyrosine and L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). Interestingly, compound (1) exhibited antimicrobial activity against acne-causing bacterium Propionibacterium acnes. These results have revealed new prospects for the application of microorganisms-derived compounds, especially in the cosmetics industry.