Method for inhibiting growth of restrictive malassezia

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine for inhibiting the growth of restrictive malassezia when applied to the outer surface of the human body; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition. The invention also relates to the use of a glycine or a composition comprising a glycine in microbiome equilibrium on the surface, where the equilibrium means that the number of harmful microorganisms, which are restrictive malassezia, is selectively reduced without an effect of reducing the number of symbiotic microorganisms selected from the group consisting of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for balancing the microbiome on the external surface of the human body, preferably on the human skin or scalp, more preferably on the scalp. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine for inhibiting the growth of harmful microorganisms, wherein the harmful microorganism is Malassezia restricta. The present invention also relates to the use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine in balancing the microbiome on the external surface of the human body. Background of the Invention

[0003] Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa and mites are often found on surfaces such as fabrics, hard surfaces and skin. The microbiome of a surface refers to this entire population of microorganisms present on a surface. Some of the microorganisms present on a surface are considered beneficial, while some other microorganisms that co-exist with the beneficial microorganisms are harmful in nature.

[0004] The scalp microbiome has recently become the focus of some attention due to its potential pathogenic role in the progression of dandruff. The main fungal / bacterial species present on the scalp are Malassezia restricta, Malassezia globosa, Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus capitis. The lipophilic yeast Malassezia restricta is known to be associated with dandruff conditions. Antifungal agents, such as zinc pyrithione, piroctone olamine, and selenium sulfide, have been shown to be effective anti-dandruff agents by reducing the growth of Malassezia on the scalp. Staphylococci and Propionibacterium are the most abundant bacterial genera on healthy and dandruff scalps. However, at the species level, Staphylococcus capitis was reported to be positively associated with dandruff conditions, while Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes are considered commensal bacteria, which are positively associated with non-dandruff scalp conditions in terms of relative or absolute abundance.

[0005] Individuals typically use antimicrobial compositions to eliminate or reduce the number of harmful microorganisms. However, the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobial compositions, such as zinc pyrithione, may also kill or inhibit beneficial microorganisms.

[0006] There is a continuing need for treatments that can provide balance to the microbiome by selectively reducing the number of harmful microorganisms while having little effect on the number of beneficial microorganisms or selectively increasing the number of beneficial microorganisms. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present inventors surprisingly found that glycine or a composition comprising a certain level of glycine can inhibit the growth of Malassezia restricta when applied to an external surface of the human body, while having no inhibitory effect on commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes.

[0009] In a first aspect, the invention relates to the use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine for inhibiting the growth of Malassezia restricta when applied to an external surface of the human body; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

[0010] In a second aspect, the present invention relates to the use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine for balancing the microbiome on the external surfaces of the human body, wherein balance is a selective reduction in the number of harmful microorganisms that are Malassezia restricta, while having no reducing effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

[0011] In a third aspect, the invention relates to a method of applying glycine or a composition comprising glycine to an external surface of a human body to inhibit the growth of Malassezia restricta; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

[0012] In a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a method of applying glycine or a composition comprising glycine on an external surface of the human body for microbiome balance, wherein balance refers to a selective reduction in the number of harmful microorganisms that are Malassezia restricta, while having no reducing effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

[0013] In a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a method for applying glycine or a composition comprising glycine on an external surface of the human body for ensuring the growth of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes while protecting the surface against harmful microorganisms such as Malassezia restricta; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

[0014] In a sixth aspect, the present invention relates to glycine or a composition comprising glycine for inhibiting the growth of Malassezia restricta; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

[0015] In a seventh aspect, the present invention relates to glycine or a composition comprising glycine for use in balancing the microbiome on external surfaces of the human body, wherein balancing means selectively reducing the number of harmful microorganisms such as Malassezia restricta, while having no reducing effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

[0016] All other aspects of the invention will become more readily apparent from consideration of the following detailed description and examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] For the avoidance of doubt, any feature of one aspect of the present invention can be used for any other aspect of the present invention. The word "comprising" is intended to mean "including", but not necessarily "consisting of" or "consisting of". In other words, the steps or options listed do not have to be exhaustive. It should be noted that the examples given in the following description are intended to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention to these examples themselves. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, all percentages are weight / weight percentages. Unless in the operating and comparative examples, or otherwise clearly indicated, all numbers representing the amount of material or reaction conditions, material physical properties and / or uses in this specification should be understood to be modified by the word "about". Numerical ranges expressed in the format of "from x to y" are understood to include x and y. When multiple preferred ranges are described in the format of "from x to y" for a particular feature, it should be understood that all ranges combining different endpoints can also be considered. As used herein, the indefinite article "one" or "an" and its corresponding definite article "the" mean at least one or one or more, unless otherwise specified. Where appropriate, the various features of the present invention mentioned in the above single part are applicable to other parts with necessary modifications. Thus, features specified in one section may be combined with features specified in other sections as appropriate.Any section headings are added for convenience only and are not intended to limit the disclosure in any way.

[0019] As used herein, "hair care composition" refers to compositions that are topically applied to the hair and / or scalp of mammals, especially humans. Such compositions can generally be classified as leave-on or rinse-off, and include any product that is applied to the human body for improved appearance, cleansing, odor control, or overall aesthetics. The compositions of the present invention can be in the form of a liquid, emulsion, cream, foam, scrub, gel, or bar. Non-limiting examples of such compositions include leave-on hair washes, creams, and rinse-off shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, or toilet soap bars.

[0020] microorganism

[0021] Microbes can be described as tiny living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa or mites. The microbiome on a surface refers collectively to all the microorganisms on a surface. In other words, the microbiome is the community of microorganisms.

[0022] As used herein, the term "microbiome balance" refers to selectively eliminating / killing / reducing microorganisms present on a surface that are considered harmful, while maintaining microorganisms that are considered beneficial at substantially the same level or even increasing the number of microorganisms that are considered beneficial.

[0023] The microorganism considered harmful is Malassezia restricta (M. restricta), a lipophilic yeast that is one of the most abundant Malassezia species in the human skin microbiome. M. restricta is considered an opportunistic pathogen associated with skin conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff.

[0024] At least one microorganism that is considered to be beneficial is Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis). S. epidermidis is reported to be a beneficial bacterium that is involved in the maintenance of skin health. It is a normal microorganism that may participate in the competitive exclusion of pathogens. Therefore, it is an indication of the state of the microbiome of the surface. The increase and maintenance of S. epidermidis is an important way to maintain a healthy microbiome composition.

[0025] At least one microorganism that is considered beneficial is Propionibacterium acnes (C. ances), which is one or the predominant bacterial species identified on a healthy scalp.

[0026] The present invention relates to the use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine to inhibit the growth of Malassezia restricta when applied to an external surface of the human body. However, this use has no inhibitory effect on the growth of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes. The surface is preferably human skin, such as, for example, a surface of the hands, face, body or scalp. More preferably, the surface is the scalp.

[0027] A balance of the microbiome is achieved by selectively reducing the number of harmful microorganisms, namely Malassezia restricta, while having no effect on reducing the number of commensal microorganisms selected from the group consisting of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes.

[0028] The present invention relates to the use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine in the balance of the microbiome on an external surface of the human body. The surface is preferably human skin, such as, for example, a surface of the hands, face, body or scalp. More preferably, the surface is the scalp.

[0029] It was also surprisingly found that the use of glycine or the composition according to the invention had little effect on the growth of other Malassezia microorganisms such as Malassezia furfur. The use of glycine or the composition according to the invention had no inhibitory effect on the growth of Malassezia furfur.

[0030] Glycine

[0031] Glycine is an amino acid that is essential in the production of collagen, a protein that gives structure to bones, skin, muscles and connective tissue. Glycine is the simplest stable amino acid with a chemical formula of NH2-CH a -COOH.

[0032] Amino acids are generally considered to be a source of nutrition for microorganisms and humans. It was surprisingly found that glycine or a composition comprising a certain level of glycine can inhibit the growth of Malassezia restricta when applied to a surface. However, this use has no inhibitory effect on the growth of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes. Therefore, this use can provide a microbiome balance, thereby selectively reducing the number of harmful microorganisms that are Malassezia restricta, while having no reducing effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes.

[0033] The compositions of the present invention comprise at least 0.04% glycine, preferably at least 0.1% glycine, more preferably at least 0.15% glycine by weight of the composition.

[0034] It is preferred that the composition comprises 0.04 to 10% glycine, preferably 0.1% to 5%, more preferably 0.15 to 2%, further preferably 0.2 to 2% glycine by weight of the total composition, and including all ranges subsumed therein.

[0035] In compositions intended to be diluted before application, the minimum preferred concentration of glycine may be higher. It is generally preferred that, in the use according to the invention, the concentration of glycine in the composition is equal to or higher than the optimal concentration in the working composition, because in many typical applications, the composition is used in pure form, or is diluted to form a working composition. For example, when washing hands with water and the composition of the present invention, the foam produced is generally a 50% by weight dilution of the original composition. Similarly, in the case of hair washing, body washing, liquid soap or bars are generally diluted in water until about 8% to 10% by weight, equivalent to about a 10-fold dilution of the product. Therefore, the concentration of glycine in the composition is preferably such that when the composition is diluted or dissolved with a suitable medium before or during use, the concentration in the diluted or dissolved mixture is still sufficient to provide a microbiome balancing benefit on the external surface of the human body.

[0036] Composition

[0037] The composition is preferably a personal care composition. A personal care composition is a composition for the treatment, cleaning, care or conditioning of the human body. The aforementioned includes, but is not limited to, chemicals, compositions, products or combinations thereof related to or having uses or applications therein for the treatment, cleaning or conditioning of an individual (especially including skin, hair, scalp and oral cavity), and all the aforementioned manufactures. Examples of personal care compositions include, but are not limited to, wash-free skin lotions and creams, shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, soap bars, antiperspirants, deodorants, shaving creams, depilatories, lipsticks, foundations, mascara, sunless tanners or sunscreen lotions. Preferably, the composition is a wash-free personal care composition.

[0038] Preferred personal care compositions for use in the present invention include rinse-off or leave-on hair or scalp care compositions such as shampoos, conditioners, creams, lotions, gels, serums, mousses or oils. Preferred are leave-on hair or scalp care compositions such as lotions, serums, oils, which are intended for topical application to the hair or scalp.

[0039] The compositions used in the present invention typically include a cosmetically acceptable carrier. The term "cosmetically acceptable" means that the carrier is suitable for topical application to the skin, has good aesthetic properties, is compatible with any other ingredients, and does not raise any safety or toxicity issues.

[0040] The carrier may comprise an aqueous phase, an oil phase, an alcohol, a silicone phase or a mixture thereof, and may be in the form of an emulsion. Emulsions may have a range of consistencies, including thin emulsions (which may also be suitable for spray or aerosol delivery), creamy emulsions, light creams and heavy creams.

[0041] Compositions for use in the present invention can also be formulated in single-phase carriers such as hydrophobic or hydrophilic liquids. Suitable hydrophobic liquid carriers include liquid polyorganosiloxanes, mineral oils, hydrogenated polyisobutylene, polydecene, paraffins and isoparaffins of at least 10 carbon atoms, aliphatic or aromatic ester oils (such as isopropyl myristate, lauryl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, diisopropyl sebacate, diisopropyl adipate and C12 to C15 alkyl benzoates), polyglycol ethers (such as polyglycol butanol ethers) and mixtures thereof. Suitable hydrophilic liquid carriers include water, monobasic or polybasic aliphatic alcohols (such as ethanol and isopropanol) with 2 to 8, preferably 2 or 3 carbon atoms, oligomeric glycol ethers (such as dipropylene glycol) and mixtures thereof with 2 to 5 repeating units. Particularly preferred carriers are water.

[0042] Liquid form compositions for use in the present invention may be thickened, for example, using one or more water-soluble or colloidally water-soluble polymer thickeners.

[0043] It is preferred that the compositions for use in the present invention comprise a thickener.

[0044] Suitable water-soluble or colloidally water-soluble polymer thickeners include hydroxyethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, polyquaternium-10, carrageenan, guar gum, hydroxypropyl guar gum, xanthan gum, polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic acid / ethyl acrylate copolymers, carboxyvinyl polymers, cross-linked polyacrylate polymers, and polyacrylamide polymers.

[0045] The compositions for use in the present invention may additionally comprise a conditioning agent to provide conditioning benefits. Preferably, the composition comprises discrete dispersed droplets of a water-insoluble conditioning agent having an average droplet diameter (D 3,2 ) is less than 15 microns, preferably less than 10 microns, more preferably less than 5 microns, and most preferably less than 3 microns. The average droplet diameter (D) of the water-insoluble conditioning agent can be measured by laser scattering technology. 3,2 ), for example using a 2600DParticle Sizer from Malvern Instruments.

[0046] The water insoluble conditioning agent may include non-silicone conditioning agents comprising non-silicone oily or fatty materials such as hydrocarbon oils, fatty esters and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the water insoluble conditioning agent is an emulsified silicone oil.

[0047] Suitable silicones include polydiorganosiloxanes, in particular polydimethylsiloxanes having the CTFA name dimethicone. Also suitable for use in compositions of the invention, in particular shampoos and conditioners, are polydimethylsiloxanes having hydroxyl end groups, which have the CTFA name dimethiconol. Silicone gums having a slight degree of crosslinking are also suitable for use in compositions of the invention, as described, for example, in WO 96 / 31188. Preferably, the silicone oil comprises polydimethylsiloxane, dimethiconol or mixtures thereof.

[0048] Suitable emulsified silicones included in the compositions of the present invention can be obtained as preformed silicone emulsions from suppliers of silicones such as Dow Corning and GE silicones. For ease of processing and control of silicone particle size, such preformed silicone emulsions are preferably used. Such preformed silicone emulsions typically additionally contain suitable emulsifiers and can be prepared by chemical emulsification methods such as emulsion polymerization, or by mechanical emulsification using a high shear mixer. Examples of suitable preformed silicone emulsions include DC1785, DC1788, DC7128, all of which are available from Dow Corning. These are emulsions of dimethiconol / dimethicone.

[0049] Another class of silicones that can be used are functionalized silicones, such as amino-functional silicones, meaning silicones containing at least one primary, secondary or tertiary amine group or a quaternary ammonium group. Examples of suitable amino-functional silicones include polysiloxanes having the CTFA designation "amodimethicone".

[0050] The water insoluble conditioning agents are typically present in the compositions for use in the present invention in an amount of from 0.05 to 15%, preferably from 0.1 to 10%, more preferably from 0.5 to 8%, most preferably from 1 to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.

[0051] The pH of the composition used according to the invention is preferably equal to or higher than 4.0, more preferably in the range of 5.0 to 10.0.

[0052] The oils and emulsions used in the invention generally have an oily phase comprising one or more cosmetically acceptable fatty substances which may be liquid or solid at room temperature (25° C.). Emulsions are generally aqueous emulsions which have, in addition to the oily phase, an aqueous phase.

[0053] Suitable cosmetically acceptable fatty materials include oils of natural origin (e.g. sunflower oil, borage oil, soybean oil, castor oil, olive oil and almond oil); esters of monohydric or polyhydric alcohols with mono- or polycarboxylic acids, at least one of the alcohols and / or acids comprising at least one hydrocarbon chain containing at least 6 carbon atoms (e.g. octyl palmitate, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl isostearate, hexyl laurate, isohexyl laurate, isohexyl palmitate, decyl oleate, isodecyl oleate, cetyl stearate, decyl stearate, dihexyldecyl adipate, lauryl lactate, myristyl lactate, cetyl lactate, oleyl stearate, oleyl oleate, oleyl myristate, lauryl acetate, cetyl propionate, isononyl isononanoate, propylene glycol dicaprate, diisopropyl adipate, dibutyl adipate and oleyl adipate) ; ethers (such as dicaprylyl ether); fatty alcohols (such as cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and behenyl alcohol); isoparaffins (such as isooctane, isododecane and isohexadecane); silicone oils (such as cyclomethicone, dimethicone and dimethiconol); hydrocarbon oils (such as mineral oil, petrolatum and polyisobutene); fatty acids containing 8 to 30 carbon atoms (such as stearic acid, lauric acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid); vegetable fats (such as cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm oil and shea butter); natural and synthetic waxes based on petroleum (such as lanolin wax, beeswax, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, paraffin wax, montan wax, microcrystalline wax, mineral wax, ozokerite and polyethylene wax); hydrogenated oils that are solid at 25°C (such as hydrogenated castor oil, hydrogenated jojoba oil, hydrogenated palm oil, hydrogenated tallow and hydrogenated coconut oil); and fatty esters that are solid at 25°C (such as C20-40 alkyl stearate).

[0054] The aqueous phase of the emulsion used in the present invention may also include one or more organic liquids that are miscible with water at room temperature (25° C.). Exemplary water-miscible organic liquids include monohydric and polyhydric alcohols and their derivatives, such as C2-C6 alkanols (such as ethanol and isopropanol); C2-C10 diols and polyols (such as glycerol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, pentylene glycol, hexylene glycol, caprylyl glycol, dipropylene glycol and diethylene glycol); C3-C16 glycol ethers (such as mono-, di- or tri-propylene glycol (C1-C4) alkyl ethers and mono-, di- or tri-ethylene glycol (C1-C4) alkyl ethers) and polyethylene glycols having 2 to 12 oxyethylene units.

[0055] The emulsion used in the present invention may also include surface active ingredients, such as emulsifiers and solubilizers, to enable two or more immiscible components to be uniformly mixed and to help stabilize the composition. Emulsifiers that can be used to form O / W or W / O emulsions include sorbitan oleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan isostearate, sorbitan trioleate, PEG-20 sorbitan isostearate, polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate, polyglyceryl esters of oleic acid / isostearate, polyglyceryl-6 hexaricinoleate, polyglyceryl-4-oleate, polyglyceryl-4 oleate / PEG-8 propylene glycol cocoate, polyglyceryl-2 dipolyhydroxystearate, PEG-30 dipolyhydroxystearate Esters, oleamide DEA, TEA myristic acid, TEA stearic acid, magnesium stearate, sodium stearate, potassium laurate, potassium ricinoleate, sodium cocoate, sodium tallowate, potassium ricinoleate, sodium oleate, cetyl phosphate, diethanolamine cetyl phosphate, potassium cetyl phosphate, sodium glyceryl oleate phosphate, dimethicone copolyol, cetyl dimethicone copolyol, caprylyl dimethicone ethoxylated glucoside copolyol, dimethicone copolyol crosspolymer and lauryl methicone copolyol.

[0056] Combinations of any of the foregoing materials or product forms may also be used.

[0057] Compositions for use in the present invention (as described above) may include additional actives for improving the physical and / or aesthetic properties of the scalp and / or hair. Examples include amino acids, vitamins, minerals and / or antioxidants, emollients, humectants, sunscreens, anti-irritants, exfoliants, plant extracts (such as pomegranate, birch, green tea, chamomile and liquorice extracts) and mixtures thereof.

[0058] The compositions used in the present invention (as described above) may include additional functional ingredients to improve the physical and / or aesthetic properties of the composition itself. Examples include inorganic pigments (such as titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, cerium oxide, zinc oxide, iron oxide, chromium oxide, manganese violet, ultramarine, chromium hydrate and ferric blue); organic pigments (such as carbon black and organic lakes of barium, strontium, calcium or aluminum); pearlescent agents (such as mica coated with titanium oxide and / or iron oxide); dyes, preservatives (such as disodium EDTA, benzyl alcohol, methylparaben, phenoxyethanol, propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparaben); pH adjusters and fragrances (such as essential oils, flower oils, natural extracts from resins, gums, balsams, legumes, mosses and other plants, and synthetic fragrance materials).

[0059] Mixtures of any of the above materials may also be used.

[0060] Preservatives can also be incorporated into the compositions of the present invention to prevent the growth of potentially harmful microorganisms. Suitable traditional preservatives include alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, hydantoin derivatives, propionates and various quaternary ammonium compounds. Illustrative but non-restrictive examples that can be used for preservative types of the present invention include, for example, phenoxyethanol, sodium salicylate, methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, diazolidinyl urea, sodium dehydroacetate, benzyl alcohol, sodium benzoate, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, caprylyl glycol, disodium EDTA or its mixture. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the preservative is sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol, sodium salicylate or its mixture. The preservative is preferably used in an amount of 0.01-2% by weight of the composition.

[0061] It is further preferred that the composition for use in the present invention comprises a cosmetic ingredient. Preferably, the cosmetic ingredient is selected from silicones, antimicrobial agents other than anti-dandruff agents, foam boosters, fragrances, encapsulates (e.g., encapsulated fragrances), dyes, colorants, pigments, preservatives, thickeners, proteins, phosphates, buffers, pH adjusters, pearlescent agents (e.g., mica, titanium dioxide, titanium dioxide-coated mica, glycol distearate (INCI glycol distearate)) and / or sunscreens, viscosity modifiers, emollients, sunscreens, emulsifiers, sensory actives (e.g., menthol and menthol derivatives), vitamins, mineral oils, essential oils, lipids, natural actives, glycerin, natural hair nutrients such as plant extracts, fruit extracts, sugar derivatives and amino acids, microcrystalline cellulose and mixtures thereof.

[0062] Preferably, the composition for use in the present invention comprises 0.01 to 20 wt% of at least one cosmetic ingredient, more preferably 0.05 to 10 wt%, still more preferably 0.075 to 7.5 wt%, and most preferably 0.1 to 5 wt% of at least one cosmetic ingredient, based on the weight of the total composition.

[0063] method

[0064] The present invention provides the use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine for inhibiting the growth of Malassezia restricta when applied to an external surface of the human body; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition. This inhibition can be used for the treatment of dandruff. The use is preferably non-therapeutic in nature, more preferably cosmetic in nature.

[0065] The present invention provides the use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine in the balance of the microbiome on the external surface of the human body, wherein the balance refers to the selective reduction of the number of harmful microorganisms that are Malassezia restricta, while having no reduction effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition. Such microbiome balance can be used for the treatment of dandruff. The use is preferably non-therapeutic in nature, more preferably cosmetic in nature.

[0066] The present invention provides a method of applying glycine or a composition comprising glycine to an external surface of the human body to inhibit the growth of Malassezia restricta; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition. This inhibition can be used to treat dandruff. The method is preferably non-therapeutic in nature, more preferably cosmetic in nature.

[0067] The present invention provides a method of applying glycine or a composition comprising glycine on an external surface of the human body for microbiome balancing, wherein balancing means selectively reducing the number of harmful microorganisms that are Malassezia restricta, while having no reducing effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition. Such microbiome balancing can be used for the treatment of dandruff. The method is preferably non-therapeutic in nature, more preferably cosmetic in nature.

[0068] The present invention provides a method for applying glycine or a composition comprising glycine on an external surface of the human body for ensuring the growth of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes while protecting the surface against harmful microorganisms such as Malassezia restricta; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition. The method is preferably non-therapeutic in nature, more preferably cosmetic in nature.

[0069] The present invention provides glycine or a composition comprising glycine for inhibiting the growth of Malassezia restricta; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition. This inhibition can be used in the treatment of dandruff.

[0070] The present invention provides glycine or a composition comprising glycine for use in microbiome balancing on external surfaces of the human body, wherein balancing means selectively reducing the number of harmful microorganisms that are Malassezia restricta, while having no reducing effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition. Such microbiome balancing can be used for the treatment of dandruff.

[0071] The present invention provides glycine or a composition comprising glycine for use as a medicament. The present invention provides glycine or a composition comprising glycine for use as a medicament, when applied to an external surface of the human body, for inhibiting the growth of Malassezia restricta, wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition. The present invention provides glycine or a composition comprising glycine for use as a medicament, which is used for microbiome balance on an external surface of the human body, wherein balance means selectively reducing the number of harmful microorganisms that are Malassezia restricta, while having no reducing effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

[0072] The composition is suitably applied to the hair or scalp and massaged into the scalp surface. Typically, an amount equivalent to about 1 to 15 ml of the composition per application is evenly applied to the treatment area daily or at least once a week for a period of at least 7 (seven) days, preferably at least 28 days, more preferably at least 30 (thirty) days.

[0073] The present invention will be further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples. Example

[0074] Example 1

[0075] Microbial agents

[0076] Malassezia restricta (CBS 7877) was revived on modified Leeming and Notman agar (mLNA) plates from a -80°C freezer by incubation at 32°C for 5 days. The microorganism was further cultured in 20 ml of liquid growth medium modified Leeming and Notman broth (mLNB) at 32°C with shaking for 48 hours. Then, 1 ml of the first broth culture was transferred to 9 ml of fresh mLNB and cultured at 32°C with shaking for 48 hours before use.

[0077] Malassezia furfur (CBS1878) was revived by incubating on Pityrosporum Broth (PB) agar at 32° C. for 2 days. The microorganism was further cultured with shaking in 20 ml of liquid growth medium PB broth at 32° C. for 48 hours. Then, 1 ml of the first broth culture was transferred to 9 ml of fresh PB and cultured at 32° C. for 48 hours with shaking for use.

[0078] Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC_12228) was revived by incubation on Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) overnight at 37° C. The microorganism was further cultured in 20 ml of liquid growth medium Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) at 37° C. overnight and used.

[0079] Propionibacterium acnes (ATCC_6919) was revived by anaerobically incubating on TSA plates at 37° C. for 5 days. The microorganisms were further anaerobically cultured in 20 ml of liquid growth medium TSB at 37° C. for 4 days before use.

[0080] Experimental method: Agar dilution MIC determination

[0081] Growth medium agar plates were prepared without glycine (control) and with different levels (weight percentage) of glycine: 0.04, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2%. For the fungi Malassezia restricta and Malassezia furfur, mLNA was used. For the bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes, TSA was used.

[0082] The optical density (OD) of each microbial culture was adjusted. For Malassezia restricta, OD = 2, 1, 0.5 and 0.25; for Malassezia furfur, OD = 0.8, 0.4, 0.2 and 0.1; for Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes, OD = 0.6, using a series of 10-fold dilutions to reach 0.6, 0.6 × 10 -1 , 0.6×10 -2 , 0.6×10 -3 , 0.6×10 -4 , 0.6×10 -5and 0.6×10 -6 . 4 microliters of each microbial inoculum was transferred to the corresponding plates and incubated to monitor microbial growth. Duplicate experimental sets were performed. Finally, for Malassezia and Propionibacterium acnes, plates with colony growth were visually observed daily for up to 7 days, and for Staphylococcus epidermidis for up to 2 days. Microbial growth under different conditions was compared by colony density. "No inhibition" means that there was no change in the microbial colony density observed visually, "inhibition" means that the growth of the microorganism was inhibited, where the microbial colony density was reduced by at least 75%, and "no growth" means that almost no visible microbial colony growth was observed.

[0083] result

[0084] The growth of microorganisms was recorded and is shown in Table 1 below:

[0085] Table 1

[0086] sample Glycine concentration Malassezia restricta Malassezia furfur Staphylococcus epidermidis Propionibacterium acnes A 0 No inhibition No inhibition No inhibition No inhibition 1 0.04％ inhibition No inhibition No inhibition No inhibition 2 0.05％ inhibition No inhibition No inhibition No inhibition 3 0.1％ inhibition No inhibition No inhibition No inhibition 4 0.15％ No growth No inhibition No inhibition No inhibition 5 0.2％ No growth No inhibition No inhibition No inhibition

[0087] It is apparent from the table above that samples 1 to 5 containing glycine at levels consistent with the present invention are able to selectively inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms (Malassezia restricta) while having no inhibitory effect on the growth of beneficial microorganisms (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes). In addition, the results in the table above indicate that the use of compositions containing glycine at levels consistent with the present invention has little effect on the number of other Malassezia species such as M. furfur.

[0088] Example 2

[0089] The antimicrobial efficacy of different amino acids against M. restricta was tested. The growth of M. restricta was monitored by culturing M. restricta in mLNB liquid medium for 3 days with or without the addition of 0.5% of different amino acids. To ensure that the different amino acids did not affect the pH of the growth medium, the pH of the solutions was adjusted to the same level of pH 5.5. The same experimental protocol was used to observe the growth of microorganisms.

[0090] result

[0091] The growth of microorganisms was recorded and is shown in Table 2 below:

[0092] Table 2

[0093] sample Amino acid concentration Malassezia restricta B 0 No inhibition C 0.5% Alanine No inhibition D 0.5% Threonine No inhibition E 0.5% Valine No inhibition F 0.5% Arginine No inhibition G 0.5% Serine No inhibition H 0.5% Taurine No inhibition 6 0.5% Glycine No growth

[0094] As is apparent from the above table, Sample 6 containing glycine at a level consistent with the present invention was able to inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms (Malassezia restricta), whereas samples containing other amino acids were not able to.

[0095] Example 3

[0096] This example demonstrates that a leave-on lotion containing a certain level of glycine can inhibit the growth of Malassezia restricta (M. restricta). Compositions were prepared according to the formulations detailed in Table-3. All ingredients are expressed as a weight percentage of the total formulation and as the content of active ingredients.

[0097] Table 3

[0098]

[0099] Experimental method: Use agar dilution MIC determination as in Example 1

[0100] Prepare mLNA from the latex sample. Mix 10 g of the latex with 90 g of 1.1X mLNA medium.

[0101] The optical density (OD) of Malassezia restricta was adjusted to OD = 2, 1, 0.5 and 0.25. 4 microliters of Malassezia restricta suspension was added to the agar and cultured at 32°C for 7 days. The growth of Malassezia restricta was visually observed every day for up to 7 days. Microbial growth was compared by colony density. "No inhibition" means that there was no change in the microbial colony density observed visually, "inhibition" means that the growth of the microorganism was inhibited, wherein the microbial colony density was reduced by at least 75%, and "no growth" means that almost no visible microbial colony growth was observed.

[0102] result

[0103] The growth of microorganisms was recorded and is shown in Table 4 below:

[0104] Table 4

[0105] sample I 7 8 9 Malassezia restricta No inhibition inhibition No growth No growth

[0106] As is apparent from the above table, the compositions comprising glycine at levels in accordance with the present invention (Samples 7 to 9) were able to inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms (Malassezia restricta).

Claims

1. Use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine for inhibiting the growth of Malassezia restricta when applied to an external surface of the human body; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

2. Use according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises glycine in an amount of 0.04 to 10%, preferably 0.15 to 5%, more preferably 0.2 to 2% by weight of the composition.

3. The use according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface is human skin, preferably the scalp.

4. The use according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the use is for inhibiting dandruff to promote scalp health.

5. The use according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the use has no inhibitory effect on the growth of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes.

6. The use according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the composition is a hair or scalp composition, preferably a leave-in hair or scalp composition.

7. Use of glycine or a composition comprising glycine for balancing the microbiome on the external surfaces of the human body, wherein balancing means selectively reducing the number of harmful microorganisms such as Malassezia restricta, while having no reducing effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

8. The use according to claim 7, wherein the surface is human skin, preferably the scalp.

9. The use according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the use is for inhibiting dandruff to promote scalp health.

10. A method of applying glycine or a composition comprising glycine to an external surface of a human body to inhibit the growth of Malassezia restricta; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

11. A method of applying glycine or a composition comprising glycine to an external surface of a human body for microbiome balance, wherein balance refers to a selective reduction in the number of harmful microorganisms such as Malassezia restricta, while having no effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

12. A method of applying glycine or a composition comprising glycine on an external surface of the human body for ensuring the growth of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes while protecting the surface against harmful microorganisms such as Malassezia restricta; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

13. The method of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the surface is human skin, preferably the scalp.

14. Glycine or a composition comprising glycine for use in balancing the microbiome on external surfaces of the human body, wherein balancing means selectively reducing the number of harmful microorganisms such as Malassezia restricta, while having no reducing effect on the number of commensal microorganisms selected from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

15. Glycine or a composition comprising glycine for inhibiting the growth of Malassezia restricta; wherein the composition comprises at least 0.04% glycine by weight of the composition.

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