Ectoins are innovative, multi-functional naturally active group of substances produced by bacteria who live in high salt (saline) conditions of desert environments. They have unique skin protecting effects against external aggressors by protecting Langerhans cells, protecting DNA and cells from UV-induced damage, significantly reducing the formation of sunburn cells and retaining moisture in the skin. They also create an environment whereby a healthy skin microbiome thrives, and all this helps to exclude nasty bacteria and microbes from colonising the skin.

So Ectoins are biologically active compounds and belong to the family of compatible solutes, also referred to as stress protection substances, discovered in extreme halophilic bacteria such as halomonas elongata which live in environments characterised by high UV radiation, dryness, extreme temperature, and high salinity. These bacteria protect themselves against damage from these hostile conditions by synthesising Ectoins.

  • Ectoins stabilise the bacteria’s biopolymers such as proteins, nucleic acids, and membranes, allowing them to function optimally and to thus help the bacteria survive in their inhospitable environments.
  • Ectoins are amphoteric, organic molecules that can bind water and form a large hydration sheath, i.e. they are excellent water structure formers allowing them to protect the biomolecules in their cells against a variety of aggressors such as UV, osmotic stress, heat, dryness, or frost.
  • Ectoins are non-toxic, highly compatible with cell metabolism and are extremely active even at low concentrations.
  • Ectoins are readily accepted by cells and are chemically, physically and biologically stable.

Human skin, when exposed to a variety of environmental hazards, also has to cope with a number of specific stress factors; UV-radiation (which can result in cell damage (protein, lipid, DNA, membrane)), immuno-suppression, and cell membranes can be damaged by pollutants, allergens, or surfactants.

Ectoins are produced by a patented process in the biotech industry, often referred to as “bacteria milking.” It has demonstrated great efficacy in improving the biological processes available to counteract environmental aggressors.

What do they do for our Skin?

Immune System Protection

  • Human skin has its own specific immunological defence system, the skin immune system (SIS).
  • Within the epidermis, it is primarily Langerhans cells that are the key elements of the SIS and can correct damage caused by damaging environmental influences, pathogens, and transformed skin cells.
  • UV radiation causes Langerhans cell death, thereby diminishing the function of the SIS.
  • Tests have demonstrated the protective effect of Ectoins with respect to the number of Langerhans cells.

Cell Protection

  • Tests have shown that Ectoins also supports the repair and protective mechanisms of the cells.
  •  In cases of external stress such as UV-irradiation, heat, and other physical and chemical stress factors, human skin cells can produce so-called stress proteins or Heat Shock Proteins (HSP).
  •  Their function is recognising, stabilising, and helping to metabolise damaged proteins. The more quickly this function is activated, the better the cells can cope with these stress factors and protect themselves early against cell damage.
  • In tests it was shown that cells pre-treated with Ectoins were able to synthesise HSP 2 to 3 times faster than non-treated cells.

Protection Against UV- Induced Damage:

  •  When cells are damaged to such an extent that repair is no longer possible, apoptosis (controlled cell death) is initiated.
  •  Sun Burn Cells (SBC) are apoptotic keratinocytes, formed in the epidermis because of excess UV irradiation. Their existence in human skin indicates severe UV-induced cell damage.
  •  An in vitro study using a skin model (Skinthetic) showed that Ectoins significantly reduces the formation of SBCs under irradiation.

Moisture Retention

  • Human skin is equipped with a Skin Lipid System that, together with excretions from the sebaceous glands, serves as a shield against moisture loss and as a barrier against unfavourable outside factors.
  • The extremely sensitive equilibrium of the substances comprised in the Skin Lipid System can easily be disturbed by external or internal factors and conditions. These can include dryness due to hot temperatures or extremely low temperatures at low humidity, high salt concentrations in the skin due to perspiration, surfactants contained in soap, etc.
  •  The result can be trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and dry, flaky skin. In tests exposing skin to these conditions, much improved hydration levels were evident when skin had been treated with an Ectoins-enriched formulation.

In the Tebiskin® range, Ectoins can be found in Tebiskin® UV-Sooth

REFERENCES

1. E.A. Galinski, H.P. Pfeiffer, H.G. Truper (1985): 1,4,5,6-Tetra-hydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidinecaroxylic acid. A novel cyclic amino acid from halophilic phototrophic bacterial of the genus Ectothiorhodospira. Eur J Biochem, 149, 135-139.

2. E.A. Galinski, H.G. Truper (1994): Microbial behaviour in salt-stressed ecosystems. FEMS Microbial Reviews, 15

3. E.A. Galinski (1993): Compatible solutes of halophilic eubacteria: molecular principles, water-solute interaction, stress protection. Experientia, 49, 487-496.

4. K. Lippert, E.A. Galinski (1992): Enzyme stabilization by Ectoins-type compatible solutes: protection against heating, freezing and drying. App Microbiol Biotech-nol, 37, 61-65

5. L. Inbar, A. Lapidot (1988): Metabolic Regulation in Streptomyces parvulus during Actionomycin D Synthesis, Journal Bacterio, 170,4055-4064

6. L. Inbar, A. Lapidot (1988): The structure and biosynthesis of new tetrahydropyrimidine derivatives in actionomycin D producer streptomyces parvulus, J Biological Chemistry, 263, 16014-16022

7. P. Louis, H.G. Truper, E.A. Galinski (1994): Survival of Escherichia coli during drying and storage in the presence of compatible solutes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnology, 41, 684-688

8. G.K. Steigleder (1992): Dermatologie und Veneralogie, 6. Aufl., Georg-Thieme-Verlag, Stuttgart, 1-8