Summary: Researchers have identified three anti-aging compounds produced by Paracoccus sanguinis, a bacterium found in the bloodstream. These indole-based metabolites reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in human skin cell cultures—key contributors to skin aging.
Two of the compounds were previously unknown, making them promising candidates for future anti-aging treatments. The study sheds light on the potential of bloodstream microbes to influence skin health in unexpected ways.
Key Facts:
- New Anti-Aging Candidates: Three indole metabolites reduced inflammation and collagen damage in skin cells.
- Blood Bacteria Source: The compounds are produced by Paracoccus sanguinis, a little-studied bloodborne bacterium.
- Novel Discoveries: Two of the skin-protective molecules had never been identified before.
Source: ACS
People go to great lengths to maintain youthful-looking skin with masks, creams and serums.
Now, researchers have discovered compounds with anti-aging properties hidden beneath our own skin. The three molecules, produced by a bacterium in the blood, reduced damage and inflammatory responses in human skin cell cultures.
These findings, published in the Journal of Natural Products by the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Pharmacognosy, could lead to new treatments for aging skin.
Scientists know little about how bacteria by-products (called metabolites) released into the bloodstream impact human health. One class of metabolites of particular interest are indole compounds because of their anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
In 2015, a blood bacterium that produces indole compounds was discovered, named Paracoccus sanguinis. Chung Sub Kim, Sullim Lee and colleagues were curious about P. sanguinis and investigated its indole-functionalized metabolites.
“We became interested in P. sanguinis because blood-derived microbes are a relatively uncharted area of research,” says Kim. “Given the unique environment of the bloodstream, we believed that studying individual species like P. sanguinis could reveal previously unknown metabolic function relevant to health and disease.”
The team grew a big batch of P. sanguinis for three days and then extracted the mixture of metabolites the microbes produced. A combination of analytical methods, including spectrometry, isotope labeling and computational analysis, enabled the team to tease out the chemical structure of 12 individual indole metabolites from this mix, including six that had never been identified.
Next, Kim, Lee and colleagues investigated whether these indole metabolites could mitigate harmful processes that are also associated with aging in human skin. They applied liquid solutions containing each indole to wells with cultured human skin cells.
Prior to the experiment, the cells were treated to induce elevated levels of reactive oxygen species, compounds responsible for inflammation and collagen damage.
Of the 12 indoles the researchers investigated, three, including two newly identified ones, lowered the amounts of harmful reactive oxygen species in the stressed human skin cells compared to untreated cells. The three metabolites also reduced the levels of two inflammatory proteins and a collagen-damaging protein.
As a result of these initial findings, the researchers say the new indole metabolites are promising candidates for future treatments to counteract skin aging.
Funding: The authors acknowledge funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea, the BK21 FOUR Project, and the National Supercomputing Center.
About this aging research news
Author: ACS Newsroom
Source: ACS
Contact: ACS Newsroom – ACS
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Original Research: Closed access.
“Discovery and Biosynthesis of Indole-Functionalized Metabolites from the Human Blood Bacterium, Paracoccus sanguinis, and Their Anti-Skin Aging Activity” by Chung Sub Kim et al. Journal of Natural Products
Abstract
Discovery and Biosynthesis of Indole-Functionalized Metabolites from the Human Blood Bacterium, Paracoccus sanguinis, and Their Anti-Skin Aging Activity
The human microbiome plays a crucial role in health and disease, with microbial metabolites acting as key mediators of physiological processes. While extensive research has focused on gut-derived microbes, the metabolic contributions of blood-derived bacteria remain underexplored.
Here, we investigate the facultative anaerobe Paracoccus sanguinis, a Gram-negative bacterium isolated from human blood, and its metabolome, revealing insights into its potential impacts on health and disease.
Using advanced analytical methods, we characterized 12 metabolites, including six novel compounds. Biosynthetic studies demonstrated that these metabolites are derived through enzymatic and nonenzymatic pathways.
Functional evaluations revealed significant antiaging activities for 1, 6, and 11 in TNF-α-stimulated normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs), including suppression of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) secretion, and reduction of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8.
Among the tested compounds, 11 exhibited the highest antiaging efficacy, highlighting its potential as a candidate for therapeutic applications targeting skin aging.
This study elucidates the biosynthetic pathways of P. sanguinis metabolites and their antiskin aging activity, underscoring their potential in modulating skin health and offering novel insights into the functional roles of blood-derived microbiota in human health.
