Arabinose formulations and uses

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods for treating or preventing inflammatory conditions of the skin, and methods for controlling and maintaining homeostasis of the skin microbiota, comprising administering a topical formulation comprising an arabinose, in particular L-arabinose, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is effective to promote or maintain one or more dermatological bacterial species that deliver beneficial effects and / or to inhibit or maintain one or more dermatological bacterial species that deliver harmful effects; also provided are topical compositions of arabinose, in particular L-arabinose, useful in such methods.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to arabinose preparations, and the use of arabinose, particularly L-arabinose, for promoting a healthy skin microbiota and treating inflammatory skin disorders. Background Art

[0002] Arabinose (C5H 10 Arabinose (05) is an aldopentose, i.e. a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, which in its linear form contains an aldehyde (CHO) functional group. Arabinose exists in "D" or "L" form, i.e., D-arabinose or L-arabinose, respectively. L-arabinose is more common in nature than D-arabinose and is the preferred form according to the present invention. L-arabinose can exist in the form of a linear aldehyde:

[0003]

[0004] Or in the form of a 5-membered ring (L-arabinofuranose):

[0005]

[0006] Or in the form of a 6-membered ring (L-arabinoquinone):

[0007]

[0008] L-arabinose occurs naturally in most plants and is used as a "sugar blocker" in dietary supplements because it inhibits the absorption of sucrose by inhibiting intestinal sucrase, an enzyme that breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose.

[0009] Arabinose (such as L-arabinose, D-arabinose or mixtures thereof) is commercially available or can be prepared as described in the literature. L-arabinose can be prepared, for example, as described in WO 2021 / 123004 A1. In addition, how to prepare the formulations / compositions containing arabinose disclosed herein is well known to those skilled in the art.

[0010] Human skin is densely colonized with a variety of active microbial populations, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and mites, which together form the skin microbiome. Although many skin care products are advertised as having "anti-microbial" properties, emphasizing that microorganisms on the skin may cause disease and pollution, the skin microbiome also contributes to the protective function of human skin in many ways. There is extensive communication and complex interactions between bacteria, skin cells, and immune cells. In some cases, these interactions help to strengthen and repair the skin barrier, enhance the body's ability to resist infection, and reduce excessive inflammation. Disturbances in this ecosystem may make the skin susceptible to immune hypersensitivity diseases (such as atopic dermatitis and skin allergies), or hinder chronic wound healing. In addition, an imbalance in the skin microbiome may cause serious skin lesions. Because the skin microbiome is extremely important for skin health, better methods are needed to control the skin microbiome in order to promote beneficial microorganisms while inhibiting harmful microorganisms. Summary of the invention

[0011] It has now been discovered that L-arabinose has important beneficial effects on the skin microbiota, providing important and unexpected benefits in the treatment of a variety of conditions.

[0012] Using metagenomic sequencing, we determined the effects of various concentrations of L-arabinose on the homeostasis of the skin microbiota. We have found that L-arabinose at a concentration of 0.5% promotes the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii, an important finding because Acinetobacter species prevent allergic sensitization and inflammation by activating interleukin 10 (IL-10). IL-10 is a cytokine with powerful anti-inflammatory properties that plays an important role in limiting the host immune response to pathogens. At the same time, these concentrations of L-arabinose inhibited Micrococcus luteus. Micrococcus luteus appears to have a dual role: on the one hand, it prevents infection of the skin membrane and helps DNA repair UV damage, but at the same time it may also favor the initial infection of pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. Limiting skin inflammation may reduce the effects of aging by alleviating chronic inflammation caused by aging. Therefore, preventing a transverse contributor to the aging process, namely immune dysfunction in the inflammatory pathway, may be crucial to stop the propagation of tissue degeneration due to aging. Thus, the effect of L-arabinose at a concentration of 0.5% on the skin microbiota may prevent inflammation and prevent or reduce skin sensitivity (and therefore prevent skin aging, which is also associated with chronic inflammation).

[0013] At higher concentrations of L-arabinose (3.5% and 5%), L-arabinose promoted the growth of Streptococcus mitis, a bacterium known to limit the virulence of Staphylococcus aureus involved in atopic dermatitis and cellulitis. In addition, at concentrations of 1% and 2%, especially 1%, L-arabinose had the effect of maintaining the homeostasis of the skin microbiota.

[0014] Thus, the present disclosure provides methods for promoting a healthy skin microbiota, comprising topically applying an effective amount of arabinose, particularly L-arabinose, to the skin of a subject in need thereof, such as a mammalian subject, particularly a human subject, for example, by promoting skin bacteria that transmit beneficial effects and / or inhibiting bacteria that transmit harmful effects, including infectious pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, methods for preventing or reducing skin inflammation (including allergic sensitization, chronic inflammation associated with aging, atopic dermatitis and cellulitis), and methods for controlling and maintaining homeostasis of the skin microbiota.

[0015] The present disclosure also provides topical compositions comprising arabinose, particularly L-arabinose, and arabinose, particularly L-arabinose, for use in the methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 The relative amount of bacteria in untreated non-stressed (NT-NS) control conditions after sequencing is depicted.

[0017] Figure 2 The relative amount of A. baumannii at different concentrations of L-arabinose is depicted.

[0018] Figure 3 Depicted are the relative amounts of Micrococcus luteus at different concentrations of L-arabinose.

[0019] Figure 4 Depicted are the relative amounts of S. epidermidis at different concentrations of L-arabinose.

[0020] Figure 5 Depicted are the relative amounts of S. mitis at different concentrations of L-arabinose.

[0021] Figure 6 Depicted are the relative amounts of bacteria in the skin microbiota mixture at different concentrations of L-arabinose. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In a first embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for treating or preventing an inflammatory disorder of the skin of a subject in need thereof, such as a mammalian subject, particularly a human subject (Method 1), comprising applying to the skin of the subject a topical preparation comprising arabinose, particularly L-arabinose, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical preparation is effective to promote one or more (especially one) or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit beneficial effects and / or inhibit one or more (especially one or two) or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit harmful effects. For example, Method 1 comprises the following method:

[0023] 1.1 Method 1, wherein the topical formulation is effective in promoting one or more (especially one) skin bacterial species that transmit beneficial effects and / or inhibiting one or more (especially one or two) skin bacterial species that transmit harmful effects.

[0024] 1.2 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the topical formulation is effective to maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit a beneficial effect and / or to maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit a detrimental effect.

[0025] 1.3 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is from 0.1% to 10%.

[0026] 1.4 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is 0.1% to 5%, 0.5% to 5%, 0.5% to 3%, 0.1% to 1%, 0.5% to 1%, 1% to 2%, 2.5% to 5%, 3% to 5%, or 3.5% to 5%.

[0027] 1.5 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is about 0.5%, about 1%, about 2%, about 2.5%, about 3%, about 3.5%, about 4%, or about 5%.

[0028] 1.6 Any of the preceding methods, which is used to prevent allergic sensitization.

[0029] 1.7 Any of the preceding methods for treating chronic inflammatory diseases of the skin associated with aging.

[0030] 1.8 Any of the preceding methods, which is used to treat atopic dermatitis.

[0031] 1.9 Any of the preceding methods, which is used to treat cellulitis.

[0032] 1.10 Any of the preceding methods wherein the condition to be treated or prevented is characterized by increased levels of IL-10.

[0033] 1.11 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the bacteria that impart the beneficial effect comprises an Acinetobacter species, particularly Acinetobacter baumannii.

[0034] 1.12 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the subject exhibits elevated levels of Acinetobacter spp., particularly Acinetobacter baumannii, on the skin after application of the topical formulation.

[0035] 1.13 Any of the preceding methods wherein the bacteria that impart the beneficial effect comprises Streptococcus mitis.

[0036] 1.14 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the subject exhibits elevated levels of S. mitis on the skin after application of the topical formulation.

[0037] 1.15 Any of the preceding methods wherein the bacteria that transmit the deleterious effect comprises Staphylococcus aureus.

[0038] 1.16 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the subject exhibits reduced levels of S. aureus on the skin after application of the topical formulation.

[0039] 1.17 Any of the preceding methods wherein the bacteria that transmit the deleterious effect comprises Micrococcus luteus.

[0040] 1.18 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the subject exhibits a reduction in the level of Micrococcus luteus on the skin after application of the topical formulation.

[0041] 1.19 Any of the preceding methods for treating chronic skin inflammation associated with aging wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is from 0.1% to 1%, especially about 0.5%.

[0042] 1.20 Any of the preceding methods for treating atopic dermatitis wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is 3% to 5%, especially 3.5% to 5%.

[0043] 1.21 Any of the preceding methods wherein the topical formulation is applied to the skin once or twice daily.

[0044] 1.22 Any of the preceding methods wherein the duration of administration is at least one week, eg, at least one month.

[0045] 1.23 Any of the preceding methods wherein the formulation contains no sugars other than arabinose.

[0046] 1.24 Any of the preceding methods wherein the arabinose is L-arabinose.

[0047] 1.25 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the topical formulation is in the form of a cream, lotion, spray, ointment, serum, lip balm, make-up, soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, or hair mask.

[0048] The present disclosure also provides arabinose, in particular L-arabinose, for use in treating or preventing inflammatory conditions of the skin of a subject in need thereof, such as a mammalian subject, in particular a human subject, by applying a topical preparation comprising arabinose, in particular L-arabinose, to the skin of the subject, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical preparation is effective to promote one or more (in particular one) or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit beneficial effects, and inhibit one or more (in particular one or two) or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit harmful effects, for example, for use in a method according to any one of methods 1.1 to 1.25 above.

[0049] If it is stated herein that a skin bacterial species is promoted, it means that the relative amount of the bacterial species compared to the total amount of skin bacteria is increased. On the other hand, if it is stated that a skin bacterial species is inhibited, it means that the relative amount of the bacterial species compared to the total amount of skin bacteria is decreased.

[0050] If it is stated herein that a skin bacterial species is maintained, it means that the relative amount of that bacterial species compared to the total amount of skin bacteria is maintained.

[0051] Unless expressly stated otherwise, percentages are by weight (wt %).

[0052] The term "about" placed before a numerical value "X" in the present application refers to an interval extending from X minus 30% of X to X plus 30% of X, preferably an interval extending from X minus 10% of X to X plus 10% of X.

[0053] The present disclosure also provides a method for controlling and maintaining the homeostasis of skin microbiota (method 2), comprising applying a topical preparation containing arabinose, especially L-arabinose, to the skin of a subject, such as a mammalian subject, especially a human subject, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical preparation can effectively promote one or more (especially one) or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit beneficial effects and / or inhibit one or more (especially one or two) or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit harmful effects. For example, method 2 includes the following method:

[0054] 2.1 Method 2, wherein the topical formulation is effective in promoting one or more (especially one) skin bacterial species that deliver beneficial effects and / or inhibiting one or more

[0055] (especially one or two) species of skin bacteria that transmit harmful effects.

[0056] 2.2 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the topical formulation is effective to maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit a beneficial effect and / or to maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit a detrimental effect.

[0057] 2.3 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is between 0.1% and 10%.

[0058] 2.4 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is 0.1% to 5%, 0.5% to 5%, 0.5% to 3%, 0.1% to 1%, 0.5% to 1%, 1% to 2%, 2.5% to 5%, 3% to 5%, or 3.5% to 5%.

[0059] 2.5 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is about 0.5%,

[0060] About 1%, about 2%, about 2.5%, about 3%, about 3.5%, about 4% or about 5%.

[0061] 2.6 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the bacteria that impart the beneficial effect comprises an Acinetobacter species, particularly Acinetobacter baumannii.

[0062] 2.7 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the subject exhibits elevated levels of Acinetobacter spp., particularly Acinetobacter baumannii, on the skin after application of the topical formulation.

[0063] 2.8 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the bacteria that impart the beneficial effect comprises Streptococcus mitis.

[0064] 2.9 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the subject exhibits elevated levels of S. mitis on the skin after application of the topical formulation.

[0065] 2.10 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the bacteria that transmit the deleterious effect comprises Staphylococcus aureus.

[0066] 2.11 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the subject exhibits a reduction in the level of S. aureus on the skin after application of the topical formulation.

[0067] 2.12 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the bacteria that transmit the deleterious effect comprises Micrococcus luteus.

[0068] 2.13 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the subject exhibits a reduction in the level of Micrococcus luteus on the skin after application of the topical formulation.

[0069] 2.14 Method 2 for maintaining skin microbiota homeostasis, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is 1% to 2%, such as about 1% or about 2%, in particular about 1%.

[0070] 2.15 Any of the preceding methods wherein the topical formulation is applied to the skin once or twice daily.

[0071] 2.16 Any of the preceding methods wherein the duration of administration is at least one week, eg, at least one month.

[0072] 2.17 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the formulation contains no sugars other than arabinose.

[0073] 2.18 Any of the preceding methods wherein the arabinose is L-arabinose.

[0074] 2.19 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the topical formulation is in the form of a cream, lotion, spray, ointment, serum, lip balm, make-up, soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, or hair mask.

[0075] The present disclosure also provides a topical pharmaceutical composition or cosmetic composition (composition 1) comprising arabinose, particularly L-arabinose, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical composition is 0.1% to 10%. For example, composition 1 comprises the following composition:

[0076] 3.1 Composition 1, wherein the arabinose concentration is 0.1% to 5%, 0.5% to 5%, 0.5% to 3%, 0.1% to 1%, 0.5% to 1%, 1% to 2%, 2.5% to 5%, 3% to 5%, or 3.5% to 5%.

[0077] 3.2 Any of the preceding compositions, wherein the arabinose concentration is about 0.5%, about 1%, about 2%, about 2.5%, about 3%, about 3.5%, about 4%, or about 5%.

[0078] 3.3 Any of the foregoing compositions, which is effective in promoting the growth of Acinetobacter species, particularly Acinetobacter baumannii, on human skin.

[0079] 3.4 Any of the foregoing compositions, which is effective in promoting the growth of Streptococcus mitis on human skin.

[0080] 3.5 Any of the foregoing compositions, which is capable of effectively inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus on human skin.

[0081] 3.6 Any of the foregoing compositions, which are capable of effectively inhibiting Micrococcus luteus on human skin.

[0082] 3.7 Any of the foregoing compositions, which is in the form of a cream, lotion, spray, ointment, serum, lip balm, make-up, soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner or hair mask.

[0083] 3.8 Any of the preceding compositions further comprising a fragrance.

[0084] 3.9 Any of the preceding compositions, which does not contain sugars other than arabinose.

[0085] 3.10 Any of the preceding compositions wherein the arabinose is L-arabinose.

[0086] 3.11 Any of the preceding compositions, for use in any of methods 1-1.25 or methods 2-2.19 above.

[0087] Example: Evaluation of the effect of L-arabinose on the growth of common skin bacteria

[0088] The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of L-arabinose on a bacterial pool that simulates the skin microbiota by quantifying the bacterial mixture using metagenomic sequencing. Five different types of bacteria were obtained: Micrococcus luteus (Catalog No. 4698), Corynebacterium striatum (Catalog No. BAA-1293), Staphylococcus epidermidis (Catalog No. 12228), Acinetobacter baumannii (Catalog No. 19606), and Streptococcus mitis (Catalog No. NCIMB-13770). These bacteria are common skin bacteria and were selected to roughly mimic the skin microbiome. These bacteria were grown on specific media, including solid media (Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) agar from Condalab (Catalog No. 1048.00) or Tryptic Soy (TS) agar from Condalab (Catalog No. 1068.00)) or liquid media (Brain Heart Infusion broth from Condalab (Catalog No. 1400.00) or Tryptic Soy broth from Condalab (Catalog No. 1224.00)). Bacterial cultures were performed according to ATCC instructions and adapted to the specific conditions for each bacterium: all bacteria were grown in BHI medium at 37°C and aerobic with shaking at 120 rpm, except for Streptococcus mitis, which requires an anaerobic environment. Since Streptococcus mitis requires an anaerobic environment, no shaking was required and paraffin oil from Sigma-Aldrich (Catalog No. 185812) was used above the culture medium to cut off contact with air.

[0089] Growth kinetics studies were performed on each bacterium to determine their different growth phases, especially the time required to reach the exponential phase. Aerobacteria grown aerobically were plated on solid media and then colonies were inoculated into 10 mL of liquid media. OD at 600 nm was then recorded at regular time intervals starting from the inoculation time T0 to obtain a growth curve until the stationary phase was reached. Anaerobic bacteria were inoculated directly into 9.5 mL of culture medium at 500 μL.

[0090] Bacteria were treated for 6 hours with L-arabinose diluted in the culture medium. First, L-arabinose was resuspended in the culture medium at a concentration of 5%. The following dilutions were achieved directly in the culture medium at the following concentrations: 3.5%, 2%, 1% and 0.5%.

[0091] Each bacterium in the mixture initially grows independently. Once the exponential phase begins, Corynebacterium striata, Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are mixed and grown for 6 hours in the presence or absence of different concentrations of L-arabinose before reaching the stationary phase. Acinetobacter baumannii and Streptococcus mitis grow independently using L-arabinose due to their unique properties (biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) bacteria, anaerobic growth of Streptococcus mitis) and are then pulled into the final mixture. The mixture is then centrifuged and sent for sequencing. Bacterial DNA is isolated, sequenced, and the 16SrRNA sequence is matched with a classification database.

[0092] like Figure 1 As shown, all bacteria except Corynebacterium striatum were able to grow in this mixture. Figure 1 The relative amount of bacteria under the untreated non-stress (NT-NS) control condition after sequencing is shown. After metagenomic sequencing, the relative bacterial abundance in the NT-NS control sample was detected. The bacteria inoculated in this mixture are Micrococcus luteus, Corynebacterium fasciatum, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Acinetobacter baumannii and Streptococcus mitis. All operational taxonomic units (OTUs) detected are classified by genus so that all bacteria present can be distinguished.

[0093] Figure 2 The relative amount of Acinetobacter baumannii at different concentrations of L-arabinose is depicted. After metagenomic sequencing, the relative abundance of Acinetobacter baumannii in all samples was compared. Bacteria were treated with the following 5 concentrations of L-arabinose: 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3.5% and 5%. Only OTUs identifying the genus Acinetobacter baumannii are presented.

[0094] Two-tailed unpaired T-test was used to compare NT-NS Figure 2-5 Statistical analysis (*p value < 0.05, **p value < 0.01, ***p value < 0.001).

[0095] Figure 2 L-arabinose was shown to have a dose-dependent effect on Acinetobacter baumannii. When 0.5% L-arabinose was used, it increased by 7%, while when 5% L-arabinose was used, it was statistically reduced by up to 7% compared to the NT-NS control. When 1% or 2% L-arabinose was used, the relative amount of Acinetobacter baumannii was the same as the control.

[0096] Figure 3The relative amount of Micrococcus luteus at different concentrations of L-arabinose is depicted. After metagenomic sequencing, the relative abundance of Micrococcus luteus in all samples was compared. Bacteria were treated with the following 5 concentrations of L-arabinose: 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3.5% and 5%. Only OTUs identifying the genus Micrococcus luteus are presented.

[0097] like Figure 3 As shown, 0.5% L-arabinose in the mixture statistically reduced the relative amount of Micrococcus luteus compared to the control condition. In the presence of 2% L-arabinose, there was a statistically significant increase in Micrococcus luteus. In the presence of 1%, 3.5% or 5% L-arabinose, there was no statistically significant change in the relative amount of Micrococcus luteus.

[0098] Figure 4 The relative amount of Staphylococcus epidermidis at different concentrations of L-arabinose is depicted. After metagenomic sequencing, the relative abundance of Staphylococcus epidermidis in all samples was compared. Bacteria were treated with the following 5 concentrations of L-arabinose: 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3.5% and 5%. Only OTUs identifying the genus Staphylococcus epidermidis are presented.

[0099] Figure 4 It shows that there is a trend of a decrease in the relative amount of S. epidermidis after treatment with 0.5% L-arabinose compared to the control condition. At other concentrations, there is no statistical difference in the relative amount of S. epidermidis.

[0100] Figure 5 The relative amount of S. mitis at different concentrations of L-arabinose is depicted. After metagenomic sequencing, the relative abundance of S. mitis in all samples was compared. Bacteria were treated with the following 5 concentrations of L-arabinose: 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3.5% and 5%. Only OTUs identifying the genus S. mitis are presented.

[0101] like Figure 5 As shown, L-arabinose has a dose-dependent effect on S. mitis. L-arabinose tends to reduce the relative amount of S. mitis at concentrations of 0.5% and 1%, while statistically increasing the relative amount of S. mitis by more than 2 times at concentrations of 3.5% and 5%. When 2% L-arabinose was used, the relative amount of S. mitis was the same as the control.

[0102] Figure 6The relative amount of bacteria in the skin microbiota mixture under different concentrations of L-arabinose is depicted. After metagenomic sequencing, the relative bacterial abundance in all samples was determined. The bacteria inoculated in this mixture were Micrococcus luteus, Corynebacterium taeniae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Streptococcus mitis. The bacteria were treated with the following 5 concentrations of L-arabinose: 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3.5%, and 5%. All OTUs detected were classified by genus to be able to distinguish all bacteria present in each sample.

[0103] Observe the whole extract, Figure 6 It is shown that Acinetobacter baumannii grows faster than other bacteria in a mixture with 0.5% L-arabinose. At 3.5% and 5% L-arabinose concentrations, Streptococcus mitis grows rapidly at the expense of Acinetobacter baumannii. Finally, bacterial mixtures containing 1% or 2% L-arabinose maintain the homeostasis of the skin microbiota. There is no significant difference compared to the NT-NS control.

Claims

1. A method for treating or preventing an inflammatory condition of the skin of a subject in need thereof, comprising applying to the subject's skin a topical formulation comprising arabinose, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is effective to promote or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit beneficial effects and / or inhibit or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit detrimental effects.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the condition to be prevented or treated is allergic sensitization, chronic inflammation of the skin associated with aging, atopic dermatitis or cellulitis.

3. A method for controlling and maintaining homeostasis of skin microbiota, comprising applying to the skin of a subject a topical formulation comprising arabinose, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is effective to promote or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit beneficial effects and / or inhibit or maintain one or more skin bacterial species that transmit harmful effects.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bacteria that impart the beneficial effect comprises Acinetobacter species or Streptococcus mitis.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bacteria that transmit the deleterious effect comprises Staphylococcus aureus or Micrococcus luteus.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is from 0.1% to 10%.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is 0.1% to 5%, 0.5% to 5%, 0.5% to 3%, 0.1% to 1%, 0.5% to 1%, 1% to 2%, 2.5% to 5%, 3% to 5%, or 3.5% to 5%.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2 for treating chronic skin inflammation associated with aging, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is between 0.1% and 1%.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, for treating atopic dermatitis, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical formulation is 3% to 5%.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the formulation contains no sugars other than arabinose.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the arabinose is L-arabinose.

12. A topical pharmaceutical or cosmetic composition comprising arabinose, wherein the concentration of arabinose in the topical composition is between 0.1% and 10%.

13. The topical composition of claim 12, wherein the arabinose concentration is 0.1% to 5%, 0.5% to 5%, 0.5% to 3%, 0.1% to 1%, 0.5% to 1%, 1% to 2%, 2.5% to 5%, 3% to 5%, or 3.5% to 5%.

14. A topical composition according to claim 12 or 13 which contains no sugars other than arabinose.

15. The topical composition of any one of claims 12 to 13, wherein the arabinose is L-arabinose.

Images