Anti-contamination agents and skin care products

Abstract

To provide: a novel contamination inhibitor having a preventive effect against adhesion of atmosphere aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter; and an external preparation for skin containing the contamination inhibitor.SOLUTION: A contamination inhibitor has a preventive effect against adhesion of urban atmospheric dust, and contains mannosyl erythritol lipid (MEL). The external preparation for skin contains the contamination inhibitor.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an anti-pollution agent containing mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL), more specifically to an anti-pollution agent containing MEL as an active ingredient, which is useful for preventing adhesion of air pollutants such as fine particulate matter, and an external preparation for skin containing said anti-pollution agent. [Background technology]

[0002] Skin and hair are constantly exposed to the external environment, and are subject to various damages, so-called external stimuli, from the external environment. External stimuli can be broadly divided into physical stimuli such as dryness, sunlight, and temperature, and chemical stimuli caused by atmospheric aerosol particles, which are liquid or solid particles suspended in the environment. In recent years, the effects of atmospheric aerosol particles on the skin have been attracting attention, and representative atmospheric aerosol particles include various chemical substances, xenobiotics, particles, etc., such as particulate matter such as dust and yellow sand derived from automobiles, thermal power plants, incinerators, factories, etc., volcanic eruptions, and soil particles, exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides derived from combustion, photochemical oxidants such as ozone and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons produced by photochemical reactions between hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, exhaust gases and particles such as volatile organic compounds derived from combustion and volatilization from petroleum products, particles such as asbestos derived from minerals and industrial products, and cigarette smoke.

[0003] Among these, fine particulate matter, so-called PM2.5, has become a very serious problem in Japan in recent years due to cross-border transport from neighboring countries. The adverse effects of these fine particulate matters on the body caused by their attachment to the skin and hair are becoming widely recognized, and coupled with the recent increase in health awareness, this has attracted attention. The mechanism by which fine particulate matter adversely affects the skin is proposed to be that fine particulate matter penetrates deep into the stratum corneum, stimulating the immune system as a foreign body, promoting the production of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and histamine, and inducing inflammation. In order to protect the skin from these external stimuli, it is possible to prevent substances that may cause damage from adhering to the skin and / or to mitigate the adverse effects of the irritating substances that have been attached (by preventing oxidation or neutralizing them).

[0004] As an approach to prevent air pollutants from adhering to the skin, an anti-pollution agent that contains hyaluronic acid and / or a salt thereof as an active ingredient has been proposed as an anti-pollution agent and an anti-pollution topical skin composition that alleviates damage to the skin caused by air pollutants (Patent Document 1). On the other hand, as an approach to alleviate the adverse effects of irritating substances attached to the skin, it has been found that an extract of the Hippophae genus of the Elaeagnaceae family suppresses the increase in PGE2 caused by atmospheric aerosol particles such as particulate air pollutants, thereby suppressing skin inflammation caused by atmospheric aerosol particles (Patent Document 2).Furthermore, focusing on the mechanism by which pollutants that have penetrated into the skin cause skin inflammation in epidermal cells, it has been found that zinc salts and / or zinc complexes of amino acids have remarkable usefulness in alleviating cell damage, and suppressing CYP1 over-induction, COX-2 over-induction, and IL-8 over-induction (Patent Document 3).

[0005] As described above, it has been proposed that polymer compounds contained in the living body have a protective effect against fine particulate matter, and that organic acids, including plant extracts and metal complexes, have an inhibitory effect on biological reactions caused by fine particulate matter. In addition to these, it is desirable to propose new materials that have an anti-pollution effect against fine particulate matter, from the perspective of expecting a synergistic effect in preventing pollution against fine particulate matter, diversifying pharmaceutical formulations, and providing ingredients that have a safer protective effect against fine particulate matter.

[0006] In light of this, research and development into the use of fermented products produced by microorganisms as skin care materials has been actively conducted in recent years, but there have been no reports to date of materials that are sufficiently effective against the above-mentioned fine particulate air pollutants.

[0007] One example of a skin care material produced by the above-mentioned microorganisms is biosurfactants, which are amphiphilic substances that have both hydrophilic and lipophilic groups and have surface activity. Biosurfactants, which are surfactants derived from microorganisms, are being researched as environmentally advanced surfactants that are highly safe and have excellent biodegradability with little impact on the environment. Currently, biosurfactants can be classified into five types: sugar type, acyl peptide type, phospholipid type, fatty acid type, and polymer compound type. Among them, sugar type biosurfactants have been studied most extensively, and many types of substances produced by bacteria and yeast have been reported.

[0008] As one such glycosurfactant, mannosylerythritol lipid (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "MEL") has been used in recent years as a highly functional emollient in the skin care field. MEL easily forms a lamellar structure simply by contacting water, and is known to have a high affinity with the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin, and to repair or strengthen the inherent barrier function of the stratum corneum. However, there have been no reports on the pollution prevention effect of MEL against fine particulate air pollutants. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-186276 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-216366 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2016-88929 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a contamination prevention agent having an excellent contamination prevention effect and high safety, and an external preparation for skin that utilizes said contamination prevention agent. Effect of the Invention

[0011] As a result of intensive research, the present inventors have found that mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL), a fermented product produced by a microorganism, has an excellent anti-contamination effect against fine particulate matter. Based on this finding, the present invention has been completed by finding that the above-mentioned problems can be solved. That is, the present invention has the following configuration.

[0012] Item 1. An antifouling agent characterized by containing mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL). Item 2. The contamination inhibitor according to Item 1, wherein the mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL) is MEL-B. Item 3. The stain inhibitor according to item 1 or 2, wherein MEL-B has a structure represented by general formula (2) or general formula (3) (in general formula (2) and general formula (3), the substituents R1 each may be the same or different and represent an aliphatic acyl group having 4 to 24 carbon atoms). [ka] [ka] Item 4. The stain inhibitor according to item 3, wherein R1 has 8 to 14 carbon atoms. Item 5. The stain-preventing agent according to any one of Items 1 to 4, which is a composition comprising mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL) dispersed or dissolved in a solvent. Item 6. An external skin preparation comprising the contamination prevention agent according to any one of items 1 to 5. Item 7. The external skin preparation according to Item 6, which contains 0.001 to 10.0% by mass of mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL). Item 8. A method for suppressing adhesion of atmospheric aerosol particles to skin or hair by using the pollution prevention agent according to any one of items 1 to 5.

[0013] The present invention provides a pollution prevention agent containing MEL as an active ingredient. In particular, the present invention utilizes the self-organizing ability of MEL to form a pollution prevention layer made of MEL on the surface of a substance to be coated, which prevents the adsorption and penetration of atmospheric aerosol particles into the substance to be coated, and is expected to have the effect of mitigating damage to the skin, making it effective as a pollution prevention agent. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows the results of an evaluation of contamination prevention using BIOSKIN due to the inclusion of MEL in Example 2. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the removal rate of urban airborne particulate matter as an urban airborne particulate matter pollution prevention effect of Bioskin by including MEL in Example 2.

[0015] The present invention will be described in detail below. The anti-staining agent of the present invention is characterized by containing MEL as an active ingredient.

[0016] In the present invention, the air pollutants that are the main target of pollution refer to harmful substances or groups of harmful substances present in the air. Specific examples include soot, dust, automobile exhaust gas, specific substances, harmful air pollutants, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are subject to regulation under the Air Pollution Control Act (Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency website; https: / / www.erca.go.jp / yobou / taiki / taisaku / 01_01.html), but are not limited to these. More specific examples include suspended particulate matter consisting of multiple types of harmful substances, such as PM10 and PM2.5.

[0017] In the present invention, prevention of pollution refers to preventing atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter from adhering to the skin and hair, and further, by preventing atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter from adhering to the skin and hair, skin disorders caused by them are prevented and damage to the skin is alleviated.

[0018] Atmospheric aerosol particles are representative of external stimuli for the skin and hair, and include various chemical substances, foreign substances, particles, etc., such as particulate matter such as smoke from automobiles, thermal power plants, incinerators, factories, etc., ejecta from volcanic eruptions, dust and yellow sand derived from soil particles, exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides derived from combustion, photochemical oxidants such as ozone and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons generated by photochemical reactions between hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, exhaust gases and fine particles such as volatile organic compounds derived from combustion and volatilization from petroleum products, fine particles such as asbestos derived from minerals and industrial products, cigarette smoke, etc. Among them, urban air dust, which contains a large amount of fine particulate matter, is widely recognized to have adverse effects on living organisms, especially in Asia, from the viewpoint of being transported across borders from neighboring countries.

[0019] The anti-pollution agent provided by the present invention has an excellent effect of preventing the adhesion of atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter, and therefore can suppress skin disorders caused by atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter. Furthermore, since MEL itself has an anti-inflammatory effect and a barrier function improving effect, it is expected to suppress and improve inflammation and rough skin caused by atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter. Furthermore, the effect is expected to be improved by adding various compounding ingredients. This anti-pollution agent can be provided as cosmetics, quasi-drugs, medical supplies, sanitary products, and medicines.

[0020] (MEL) The structure of MEL is shown in general formula (1). In general formula (1), the substituents R1 are aliphatic acyl groups having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, which may be the same or different. MEL is classified into four types, MEL-A, MEL-B, MEL-C, and MEL-D, based on the presence or absence of acetyl groups at the 4th and 6th positions of mannose. MEL may be used alone, or two or more types of MEL may be used in combination.

[0021] [ka]

[0022] Specifically, in MEL-A, the substituents R2 and R3 in general formula (1) are both acetyl groups. In MEL-B, the substituent R2 in general formula (1) is an acetyl group, and the substituent R3 in general formula (1) is a hydrogen atom. In MEL-C, the substituent R2 in general formula (1) is a hydrogen atom, and the substituent R3 in general formula (1) is an acetyl group. In MEL-D, the substituents R2 and R3 in general formula (1) are both hydrogen atoms.

[0023] The number of carbon atoms in the substituent R1 in MEL represented by the above general formula (1) varies depending on the number of carbon atoms in the fatty acids constituting the triglyceride, which is an oil or fat contained in the MEL production medium, and the degree of assimilation of the fatty acids by the MEL-producing bacteria used. In addition, when the triglyceride has an unsaturated fatty acid residue, it is possible to include an unsaturated fatty acid residue as the substituent R1, as long as the MEL-producing bacteria does not assimilate the double bond portion of the unsaturated fatty acid. As is clear from the above explanation, the obtained MEL is usually in the form of a mixture of compounds having different fatty acid residue portions in the substituent R1.

[0024] The MEL preferably used in the stain inhibitor of the present invention is MEL-A, MEL-B or MEL-C, more preferably MEL-B having a structure represented by general formula (2) or general formula (3). More preferably, MEL-B having a structure represented by general formula (3). In general formula (3), the substituents R1 are aliphatic acyl groups having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, which may be the same or different. The number of carbon atoms in the substituent R1 is not particularly limited as long as it is within the above range, but it is more preferably 8 to 14. The substituent R1 may be a saturated aliphatic acyl group or an unsaturated aliphatic acyl group, and is not particularly limited. When the substituent R1 has an unsaturated bond, it may have, for example, a plurality of double bonds. The carbon chain may be linear or branched. In the case of an oxygen atom-containing hydrocarbon group, the number and position of the oxygen atoms contained therein are not particularly limited.

[0025] [ka]

[0026] [ka]

[0027] (In general formula (2) and general formula (3), the substituents R1 may be the same or different and are aliphatic acyl groups having 4 to 24 carbon atoms.)

[0028] MEL can be produced by culturing microorganisms. For example, the MEL mixture obtained by culturing Pseudozyma sp. can be purified by silica gel column chromatography to isolate MEL-A, MEL-B, and MEL-C.

[0029] The MEL added to the composition of the present invention may be used in any form. For example, MEL may be used as an extract from a microbial culture solution, or a purified high-purity product. Alternatively, MEL may be used after being suspended in water or dissolved in a solvent. A suitable MEL-B is a purified high-purity product, and one that has been purified to a purity of 80% to 100%, more preferably 90% to 100%, is preferably used.

[0030] The stain-preventing agent of the present invention refers to MEL itself or a composition obtained by dispersing or dissolving MEL in a solvent. There is no particular limit to the solvent as long as it can disperse or dissolve MEL, and it may be either a water-soluble base or an oil-soluble base. Examples of water-soluble bases include water, ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, pentylene glycol, and glycerin. Examples of oil-soluble bases include natural oils such as avocado oil, olive oil, orange oil, chamomile oil, kukui nut oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, camellia oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, castor oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, turtle oil, mink oil, egg yolk oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, Japan wax, coconut oil, hardened oil, hardened castor oil, waxes, lanolins, liquid paraffin, petrolatum, squalane, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, oleic acid, 12-hydroxystearic acid, undecylenic acid, and lanolin fatty acid. Examples of the fatty acids include natural fatty acids, isononanoic acid, caproic acid, 2-ethylbutanoic acid, isopentanoic acid, 2-methylpentanoic acid, 2-ethylhexanoic acid, isopentanoic acid, lauryl alcohol, cetanol, stearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, lanolin alcohol, batyl alcohol, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, butyl stearate, hexyl laurate, myristyl myristate, oleyl oleate, decyl oleate, octyldodecyl myristate, and hexyldecyl dimethyloctanoate.

[0031] The amount of MEL in the anti-staining agent is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range that can impart an anti-staining effect to the topical skin preparation, but is usually preferably 0.001% by mass to 100.0% by mass, more preferably 0.005% by mass to 95% by mass, and even more preferably 0.01% by mass to 90% by mass.

[0032] The present invention provides a contamination prevention agent containing mannosylerythritol lipid and a skin external preparation containing the same, and the amount of MEL added may be within a range that exhibits the contamination prevention effect. In the skin external preparation, the amount is usually preferably 0.001 to 10.0 mass%, more preferably 0.01 to 1.0 mass%, and even more preferably 0.05 to 0.5 mass%. If the amount is less than 0.001 mass%, the layer structure of MEL may not be sufficiently formed on the surface of the applied material, and the contamination prevention effect may not be sufficiently exhibited, while if the amount exceeds 10.0 mass%, there is a concern that the workability during formulation may decrease.

[0033] Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the ingredients other than MEL that may be contained in the topical skin preparation, so long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention, and they may be appropriately selected depending on the purpose.

[0034] The anti-contamination agent of the present invention has an excellent effect of preventing adhesion of atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter and is also excellent in safety, making it suitable for use in external preparations for the skin.

[0035] The skin topical preparation of the present invention contains the above-mentioned anti-contamination agent of the present invention, and further contains other ingredients as necessary. Here, the skin topical preparation means various drugs that are applied to the skin, and the classification is not particularly limited, and includes a wide range of, for example, skin cosmetics, quasi-drugs, medicines, etc.

[0036] The form of the topical skin preparation is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Examples of the form include ointments, creams, milky lotions, beauty essences, lotions, packs, foundations, lip balms, bath additives, hair tonics, hair lotions, soaps, and body shampoos.

[0037] The other components are not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Components that are commonly used in producing topical skin preparations, such as oily components, surfactants, solvents, moisturizers, thickeners, medicinal ingredients, preservatives, pigments, powders, pH adjusters, ultraviolet absorbers, antioxidants, fragrances, etc., can be appropriately blended.

[0038] The oily components include natural fats such as avocado oil, olive oil, orange oil, chamomile oil, kukui nut oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, camellia oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, castor oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, turtle oil, mink oil, egg yolk oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, Japan wax, coconut oil, hardened oil, hardened castor oil, waxes, lanolins, liquid paraffin, petrolatum, squalane, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, oleic acid, 12-hydroxystearic acid, undecylenic acid, and lanolin fatty acid. Examples of such oily ingredients include fatty acids, isononanoic acid, caproic acid, 2-ethylbutanoic acid, isopentanoic acid, 2-methylpentanoic acid, 2-ethylhexanoic acid, isopentanoic acid, lauryl alcohol, cetanol, stearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, lanolin alcohol, batyl alcohol, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, butyl stearate, hexyl laurate, myristyl myristate, oleyl oleate, decyl oleate, octyldodecyl myristate, hexyldecyl dimethyloctanoate, etc. By adding such oily ingredients, the anti-staining skin topical agent of the present invention is expected to have a base material effect and an emollient effect.

[0039] The surfactants mentioned above include anionic surfactants (carboxylates, sulfonates, sulfate salts, phosphate salts), cationic surfactants (amine salts, quaternary ammonium salts), amphoteric surfactants (carboxylate type amphoteric surfactants, sulfate ester type amphoteric surfactants, sulfonate type amphoteric surfactants, phosphate ester type amphoteric surfactants), nonionic surfactants (ether type nonionic surfactants, ether ester type nonionic surfactants, ester type nonionic surfactants, block polymer type nonionic surfactants, nitrogen-containing type nonionic surfactants), other surfactants (natural surfactants, derivatives of protein hydrolysates, polymeric surfactants, surfactants containing titanium and silicon, fluorocarbon surfactants), etc.

[0040] Examples of the solvent include ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, pentylene glycol, and glycerin.

[0041] The moisturizing agent may be any component commonly used in cosmetics, such as pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, lactic acid, sodium lactate, amino acids, sodium hyaluronate, sodium chondroitin sulfate, etc. Addition of these moisturizing agents is expected to impart moisturizing properties to the anti-staining skin topical agent of the present invention.

[0042] The thickener may be any component commonly used in cosmetics, such as guar gum, quince seed, carrageenan, galactan, gum arabic, pectin, mannan, starch, xanthan gum, curdlan, methylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, methylhydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxyethylguar gum, carboxymethylguar gum, dextran, locust bean gum, succinoglucan, caronic acid, chitin, chitosan, carboxymethylchitin, agar, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, carboxyvinyl polymer, alkyl-modified carboxyvinyl polymer, sodium polyacrylate, bentonite, etc. These thickeners are expected to have effects such as improving the stability and improving the usability of the anti-staining skin topical preparation of the present invention.

[0043] The medicinal ingredient may be any ingredient commonly used in cosmetics, and examples thereof include vitamin B such as vitamin A or a derivative thereof, vitamin B6 or a derivative thereof, vitamin B2 or a derivative thereof, vitamin B12, vitamin B15 or a derivative thereof, vitamin E such as α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, vitamin E acetate, vitamin D, vitamin H, vitamins such as pantothenic acid, pantethine, pyrroloquinoline quinone, various animal and plant extracts, etc. By adding these medicinal ingredients, it is expected that the anti-staining skin external preparation of the present invention will have an antioxidant effect and an anti-aging effect.

[0044] The preservative may be any component commonly used in cosmetics, including, for example, parabens such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, etc., phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, etc. By adding these preservatives, the antiseptic effect of the antistaining skin topical preparation of the present invention is expected to be improved.

[0045] The pH adjuster may be any component commonly used in cosmetics, such as citric acid, sodium citrate, lactic acid, sodium lactate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, etc. Addition of these pH adjusters is expected to have effects such as improved stability for the anti-staining skin topical preparation of the present invention.

[0046] By adding the various components described above to the contamination prevention agent and topical skin preparation of the present invention, it is expected that the agent will provide effects such as moisturizing effect, cell activation effect, anti-aging effect, hair growth effect, and rough skin improvement effect, depending on the component.

[0047] The anti-pollution agent and topical skin preparation of the present invention can be used daily, and the active ingredient MEL prevents the adhesion of atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter to the skin. Therefore, the anti-pollution agent and topical skin preparation of the present invention can suppress the occurrence of skin disorders caused by atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter, and the anti-inflammatory effect of MEL itself is expected to suppress inflammation caused by atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter, so that they can be suitably used as topical skin preparations used to protect the skin from the external environment. Furthermore, in addition to the effect of preventing the adhesion of fine particulate matter and the anti-inflammatory effect, MEL has an effect of improving the barrier function, so that it is expected to show useful effects on the skin through different mechanisms, and it is expected that by using it as a topical skin preparation, it will be possible to effectively prevent and improve various skin symptoms, such as dry skin, rough skin, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis, caused by inflammation caused by fine particulate matter.

[0048] The anti-contamination agent and topical skin preparation of the present invention are preferably applied to humans, but as long as the action and effect of the agent is exhibited, it can also be applied to animals other than humans (e.g., mice, rats, hamsters, dogs, cats, cows, pigs, monkeys, etc.) In addition, the anti-contamination agent of the present invention contains as an active ingredient naturally derived MEL obtained by microbial fermentation, and is advantageous in terms of excellent safety. EXAMPLES

[0049] The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way.

[0050] Example 1: Preparation of MEL-B Pseudozyma tsukubaensis (NBRC 1940) was cultured in a 500 ml Sakaguchi flask in YM medium at 26°C for 48 hours with aeration and agitation. The resulting solution was used as the seed culture. The resulting seed culture was cultured in a 10 L jar fermenter in YM medium (containing 5% olive oil) with aeration and agitation for 7 days at 26°C. An equal amount of ethyl acetate was added to the culture solution and the mixture was stirred and distributed. An appropriate amount of anhydrous sodium sulfate was added to the ethyl acetate layer, and the mixture was left to stand for 30 minutes, then heated and concentrated to obtain crude MEL-B. The resulting crude MEL-B was eluted using a silica gel column with chloroform:acetone = 1:0, chloroform:acetone = 9:1, chloroform:acetone 1:1, chloroform:acetone = 3:7, and chloroform:acetone = 0:1. The MEL-B fraction was separated and concentrated to obtain purified MEL-B.

[0051] Example 2: Urban air dust pollution prevention test using MEL-B (sample) The test samples were prepared by the preparation method described below with the compositions shown in Table 1. The sample used in the present invention was MEL-B obtained in Example 1 above. First, A in Table 1 was heated to 70°C, and B was added and stirred to dissolve. Next, while stirring the A+B phase, C+D phase (D phase in the case of the comparative example) which had been previously heated and dissolved at 60°C was gradually added to prepare a test sample in which MEL was dispersed.

[0052] [Table 1]

[0053] (Evaluation of pollution prevention using Bioskin) The test sample was applied at 2 mg / cm to the artificial skin model Bioskin (manufactured by Bealux). <2> The sample was applied evenly so that the dust particles were uniform, and the sample was left to dry (n=3). 10 mg of urban airborne dust (NIES CRM No. 28) was weighed into a plastic bag (manufactured by Seizo Nippon Co., Ltd.), the bag was closed, and the plastic bag was shaken to create a simulated atmosphere in which urban airborne dust was dispersed. The Bioskin coated with the test sample was placed in the plastic bag in which the urban airborne dust had been dispersed, and the bag was then shaken to allow the urban airborne dust to adhere to the Bioskin. The Bioskin with the urban airborne dust attached was photographed at multiple points using a microscope (manufactured by Omron) to record the state immediately after the dust particles had adhered. The Bioskin with the urban airborne dust attached was then exposed to 200 g of running water in a shower, and the moisture on the surface was removed without rubbing. The same areas photographed immediately after the dust particles had adhered were photographed again using a microscope to record the state after the urban airborne dust had fallen off due to the running water (see Figure 1). The photographs taken before and after the running water treatment were converted to black and white using the image processing software ImageJ (https: / / imagej.nih.gov / ij / ), and the area value of the black part was quantified as the urban airborne dust adhesion area, and the urban airborne dust removal rate before and after the running water treatment was calculated. The test was conducted in a double-blind manner.

[0054] The results are shown in Figure 2. As can be seen from Figure 2, when the test sample containing MEL-B was applied, significantly less urban airborne dust adhered to the BIOSKIN compared to when the test sample not containing MEL-B was applied. In other words, this result shows that the test sample containing MEL-B is effective in preventing the adhesion of fine particulate matter. This is thought to be because MEL-B self-organizes on the BIOSKIN surface, forming a layer structure in which hydrophilic groups and hydrophobic groups are arranged in an orderly manner, thereby preventing the adhesion of fine particulate matter and allowing urban airborne dust to fall off efficiently when exposed to running water.

[0055] Example 3 Examples of formulations for external skin preparations of the present invention are given below.

[0056] (1) Lotion A lotion was prepared in a conventional manner according to the following composition. Purified water: 90.70g Glycerin: 3.00 g Phenoxyethanol: 0.20 g Butylene glycol 5.00 g Pentylene glycol 1.00 g MEL-B 0.10g

[0057] (2) Gel A gel was prepared by conventional methods according to the following composition: ·Purified water ···88.80g Carbomer 0.30 g Xanthan gum 0.10g Arginine: 0.40 g Glycerin: 5.00 g Phenoxyethanol: 0.20 g Butylene glycol 5.00 g MEL-B 0.2g

[0058] (3) Cream A cream was prepared in a conventional manner according to the following composition. Purified water: 58.50g Butylene glycol 10.00 g Glycerin: 5.00 g Phenoxyethanol: 0.20 g Ethylhexylglycerin: 0.20g Squalane: 10.00g Olive oil: 10.00g Behenyl alcohol 2.50g Polyglyceryl-10 pentastearate 1.90g Sodium stearoyl lactate 0.60g Cetyl palmitate 1.00g MEL-B 0.10g

[0059] These preparations are expected to be effective in preventing the adhesion of atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter, and are therefore effective in protecting the skin against fine particulate matter. [Industrial Applicability]

[0060] The anti-pollution agent and topical skin preparation of the present invention are expected to prevent damage such as inflammation of the skin caused by air pollutants by preventing the adhesion of atmospheric aerosol particles such as fine particulate matter to the skin and hair. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effect and barrier function improving effect of MEL can synergistically suppress skin damage, making them suitable for use in topical skin preparations.

Claims

1. An agent for inhibiting adhesion of fine particulate matter to the skin, comprising mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL) (excluding a composition containing a vesicle composed of MEL and a sucrose fatty acid ester).

2. 2. An agent for inhibiting adhesion of fine particulate matter to skin according to claim 1, wherein the mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL) is MEL-B.

3. An agent for inhibiting adhesion of fine particulate matter to the skin as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein MEL-B has a structure represented by general formula (2) or general formula (3) (in general formula (2) and general formula (3), the substituents R1 represent aliphatic acyl groups having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, which may be the same or different). 【Chemistry 2】 【Chemistry 3】

4. 4. The agent for inhibiting adhesion of fine particulate matter to skin according to claim 3, wherein R1 has 8 to 14 carbon atoms.

5. 5. An agent for inhibiting adhesion of fine particulate matter to the skin according to claim 1, which is a composition comprising mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL) dispersed or dissolved in a solvent.

6. 6. An agent for inhibiting adhesion of fine particulate matter to skin according to any one of claims 1 to 5, containing 0.001 to 10.0 mass% mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL).

7. A method for inhibiting adhesion of atmospheric aerosol particles to skin or hair by using an agent for inhibiting adhesion of fine particulate matter to skin according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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