Enhanced antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of Hwangryeonhaedok-tang fermented with Kimchi-derived Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WiKim0111 for potential acne treatment

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increase in the incidence of acne in adults and teenagers resulting in active research in acne treatment. In the present study, we aimed to improve the anti-acne effects of Hwangryeonhaedok-tang (HHT) through fermentation using a kimchi-derived lactic acid bacterium. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WiKim0111 (Lpb. plantarum WiKim0111) was selected to ferment HHT due to its strong antioxidant activity and its ability to effectively survive and grow in the HHT medium. The antimicrobial activity of HHT and fermented HHT (FHHT) against Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) was determined using an agar well diffusion assay. FHHT exhibited stronger antimicrobial, radical scavenging, and superoxide dismutase activity compared to HHT. RAW 264.7 cells pretreated HHT or FHHT showed significantly lower production of nitric oxide, interleukin (IL) -1β, and IL-6 than lipopolysaccharide -treated cells, with FHHT demonstrating higher efficiency than HHT. Overall, HHT fermented by Lpb. plantarum WiKim0111 displayed enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as greater antibacterial activity against C. acnes compared to unfermented HHT. These findings suggest that FHHT may help mitigate acne symptoms by reducing oxidative stress, modulating inflammation, and directly inhibiting the growth of C. acnes. Further in vitro studies focusing on sebum-producing skin cells, as well as clinical trials evaluating the topical or oral application of FHHT, would be valuable to confirm its efficacy and safety in acne treatment.

Keywords: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum; Anti-acne effect; Anti-bacterial agents; Anti-inflammatory agents; Fermentation; Hwangryunhaedok-tang.

Fig. 1

SOD activity of kimchi derived bacterial isolate supernatants. The SOD activity of the supernatants of selected strains was estimated using a microplate reader by measuring absorbance at 450 nm. Each strain was identified as follows: C2, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum; DK4, Lpb. plantarum; E1, Lactobacillus pentosus; FI, L. pentosus; JC7, L. brevis; KP1, L. brevis; L-01, L. sakei; M2, Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Note: SOD, superoxide dismutase

Fig. 2

Phylogenetic analysis of Lpb. plantarum Wikim0111 based on 16 S rRNA sequence homology. Phylogenetic tree of Lpb. plantarum Wikim0111 was established using the neighbor-joining method. Bootstrap percentages for 1000 re-sampling are given. Note: Lpb. plantarum Wikim0111, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Wikim0111

Fig. 3

Antibacterial activity of HHT and its fermented forms against Cutibacterium acnes KACC 11,946. (A) Representative image showing the inhibition zone. (B) Quantification (mm) of the inhibition zone under DW, HHT, FHHT, LGG, and WCFS1 (mm). The results are represented as the mean ± SD based on four independent experiments. *** p < 0.001 indicates a significant difference w.r.t the control (DW). # p < 0.05 indicates a significant difference compared with FHHT. Note: HHT, Hwangryeonhaedok-tang; FHHT, HHT fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WiKim0111; LGG, HHT fermented with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG; WCFS1, HHT fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WCFS1; DW, deionized water

Fig. 4

Antioxidant activity of HHT and FHHT. The antioxidant activity was determined using the (A) ABTS, (B) DPPH, and (C) SOD assays. The results are represented as mean ± SD from three independent experiments. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 indicates a significant difference w.r.t the control (DW). # p < 0.05 indicates a significant difference on HHT vs. FHHT. Note: HHT, Hwangryeonhaedok-tang; FHHT, fermented Hwangryeonhaedok-tang; ABTS, 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid); DPPH, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl; SOD, superoxide dismutase; SD, standard deviation; DW, deionized water

Fig. 5

Effect of HHT and FHHT on the viability of RAW 264.7 cells. The results are represented as mean ± SD from three independent experiments. Note: MTS, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2 H-tetrazolium); HHT, Hwangryeonhaedok-tang; FHHT, fermented Hwangryeonhaedok-tang; SD, standard deviation

Fig. 6

Anti-inflammatory activity of HHT and FHHT. The production of (A) NO, (B) TNF-α, (C) IL-1β, and (D) IL-6 levels were measured using Griess reaction (NO) or ELISA (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6). The results are represented as mean ± SD from three independent experiments. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 indicates a significant difference w.r.t the LPS control. # p < 0.05 indicates a significant difference on HHT vs. FHHT. Note: HHT, Hwangryeonhaedok-tang; FHHT, fermented Hwangryeonhaedok-tang; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; NO, nitric oxide; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; IL, interleukin; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; SD, standard deviation