129 A Hylocereus Undatus fruit extract clinically enhances the skin’s microbiota balance and improves skin health and beauty

Abstract

The microbiota present on the skin, and its balance between beneficial and detrimental species, are increasingly recognized to play a key role in skin health and beauty, influencing skin moisture, barrier function, radiance, and luminescence. In healthy skin, the balance is tipped towards beneficial bacterial strains, limiting the growth of detrimental strains – contributing to radiant and well-hydrated skin. Prebiotic compositions can support the growth of beneficial bacteria, allowing them to outcompete detrimental bacteria. Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is a superfruit, rich in polysaccharides demonstrated to have prebiotic effects on gut bacteria. We showed in an in-tubo competitive coculture that Hylocereus undatus fruit extract can support the growth of beneficial bacteria S. epidermidis and S. hominis, while limiting the growth of detrimental bacteria S. aureus and C. acnes. In the present study, this Hylocereus undatus fruit extract was tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on two groups of 30 volunteers. The results show the beneficial effects of this extract on the skin microbiota balance, as evaluated by 16S rDNA sequencing. The downstream effect on skin sensitivity / resilience was also evaluated (via separate challenges with histamine and SLS). These data were completed by a separate placebo-controlled clinical study conducted on 26 volunteers. In this study, imaging under UV light (Visia) showed that the Hylocereus undatus fruit extract significantly reduced the appearance of porphyrins, hinting at a limiting effect on C. acnes growth, and delivered improvements in skin radiance (evaluated by colorimetric evaluation) and skin barrier function (by TEWL measurement). The above results indicate that a hylocereus undatus fruit extract positively influences the skin’s microbiota balance, and thereby delivers significant skin health and beauty benefits.