Skin care products from plant-based glucosylceramides?
Together with IPB and MLU scientists, pharmacists from Ethiopia recently published a study on the glucosylceramide composition of various plant species. Ceramides are lipids of human skin. They play an important role in maintaining the dermal barrier function and skin moisture. The compounds belonging to the sphingolipids are used in cosmetic products for skin and hair care, but also for the prevention of neurodermatitis and psoriasis. Plants could be used as a good source for ceramides; however, plant-based sphingolipids mainly contain glucosylceramides, which first have to be liberated from their glucose residue. Thus, ceramide production from plant gluosylceramides failed so far, due to the lack of an economical hydrolysis method for converting glucosylceramide into ceramide.
In their study, the team of researchers isolated various glucosylceramides from lupine bean (Lupinus albus), mung bean (Vigna radiata) and barley (Hordeum vulgare), identified them with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry and afterwards quantified them. The glucosylceramide amounts of all three plant species proved to be comparable. However, the lupin beans, whose glucosylceramides consisted of 98 percent of the same compound, stood out qualitatively. The glucosylceramides obtained could then be hydrolyzed to ceramides with a mild acid treatment. According to the authors, the method is economical and effective to allow ceramide generation from plant raw materials. In terms of affordability, bioactives concentration, and yield, the lupine bean would be the preferred alternative commercial source for glucosylceramides.