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. 2024;43(4):381-390.
doi: 10.12938/bmfh.2023-086. Epub 2024 Aug 6.

Effects of food containing Lactococcus lactis strain T21 on the improvement of skin condition: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study

Kazuya Uehara  1 , Yosuke Sunada  1 , Sumio Kondo  2 , Shinji Matsuo  1
Affiliations

Effects of food containing Lactococcus lactis strain T21 on the improvement of skin condition: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study

Kazuya Uehara et al. Biosci Microbiota Food Health. 2024.

Abstract

This research aimed to examine the effect of daily intake of food containing Lactococcus lactis strain T21 (T21) on skin conditions and inflammation-related markers in healthy adults who experience itching because of dry skin and have an atopic predisposition. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study was conducted on 44 subjects aged 20 to 64 years. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive a T21-containing food or placebo daily for 8 weeks. The hydration of stratum corneum, trans-epidermal water loss, skin brightness (L*), skin redness (a*), and quality of life (QOL) scores were evaluated. Moreover, SCCA2, Th1/Th2, peripheral blood eosinophil count, TGF-β1, TARC, total IgE, and LDH were measured as inflammation-related markers. The results showed that, compared with the placebo, food containing T21 reduced trans-epidermal water loss in the neck and increased neck skin brightness (L*) after 8 weeks of consumption. Furthermore, a stratified analysis in subjects with a history of atopy showed improvements in neck skin redness (a*) and skin-related QOL. No significant improvement in inflammation-related markers was observed. Intake of food containing T21 for 8 weeks in healthy adult with atopic predisposition was suggested to improve skin barrier function in the neck and brightness in the neck skin. Furthermore, the results also suggested that it had the effect of improving rough skin and reducing discomfort due to dryness in healthy adults with a history of atopy.

Keywords: Lactococcus lactis strain T21; inflammation-related marker; lactic acid bacteria; quality of life; skin condition; trans-epidermal water loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

Nissin Food Holdings Co., Ltd. provided the research funds and test foods (T21 and placebo) for this study, which was properly conducted by a third-party organization, EP Mediate Co., Ltd. Sumio Kondo at Fukushima Health Care Center was the principal investigator of this study; he has no conflicts of interest to disclose despite having performed commissioned work. There were no other conflicts of interest to be noted.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Flow chart showing the trial design.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Changes in the skin measurements of the placebo and T21 groups (change value Δ). Statistical analysis was performed using the subjects with a history of atopic dermatitis in themselves or in blood relatives. The “changes values Δ” are obtained by subtracting the value at the observation before ingestion from the value at 8 weeks after ingestion. (A) Trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) change in values in neck, (B) Brightness (L*) change in values in cheek, (C) Redness (a*) change values in neck. The Δ values are means ± standard error. Between-group comparisons: *p<0.05, **p<0.01. Intra-group comparisons: #p<0.05, ##p<0.01.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Changes in the dermatology life quality index (DLQI) scores of the placebo and T21 groups (score change Δ). Statistical analysis was performed using the subjects with a history of atopic dermatitis in themselves or in blood relatives. The “score changes Δ” are obtained by subtracting the score at the observation before ingestion from the score at 8 weeks after ingestion. The Δ values are means ± standard error. Between-group comparisons: *p<0.05. intra-group comparisons: #p<0.05, ##p<0.01.
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