Читать книгу Bioprospecting of Microorganism-Based Industrial Molecules - Группа авторов - Страница 68

Astaxanthin is a terpene of carotenoids family and is obtained from many algal and bacterial species. Astaxanthin is known to have antioxidant properties. A recent study focused on the comparison of Astaxanthin and Equol was carried out by gene expression analysis to analyze the properties like antioxidants, extracellular matrix integrity, growth factors, and inflammatory biomarkers. These findings indicate that Equol’s efficiency is greater than that of Astaxanthin [62]. Equol is also added in topical and oral applications to increase skin health and decrease photoaging.

Equol is a comparatively novel phytochemical used as a constituent for human skincare. Equol is an isoflavan, which has a polyphenolic structure produced in plant and food sources [63]. Equol [7‐hydroxy‐3‐(4′‐hydroxyphenyl)‐chroman] belongs to the group of compounds known as nonsteroidal phytoestrogens. The heterocyclic structure contains two reactive hydroxyls and one relatively inert and unreactive oxygen in the central furan ring. It has selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) property that gives an improved/constant delivery into the dermal layers of the skin [63, 64], thus inhibiting dermal aging and improves facial appeal [63, 65]. Equol has been studied extensively for more than two decades [66]. But it has gained interest in its new application in skincare, where several reports using topical applications of Equol have demonstrated improved human dermal parameters, such as in vitro, in ex vivo, and in vivo studies and applications in cosmetics [63–66]. In effect, Equol is a unique cosmetic ingredient for which in vitro gene expression biomarkers have been shown to relate to protein expression [65].

Equol is produced in the human intestine metabolized from daidzein by bacterial flora in the intestines. Daidzein is a type of isoflavone present in soybeans and other plant sources. In recent years, many bacterial isolates have been found from human fecal samples, which can produce Equol. These bacteria can prove to be a unique and novel source of Equol production by fermentation for commercial cosmetic products.