Core-shell probiotic particles for skin microbiome modulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current skincare products are not conducive to the survival of live probiotics due to preservatives and water-rich environments, limiting their ability to colonize on the skin and provide long-term beneficial effects, and there is a lack of live probiotics skincare/cosmetic products in the market.
Innovation Solution
Development of inedible and dry dormant state encapsulated probiotic core-shell particles that include a carrier particle core, a probiotic species, prebiotics, a polymer layer, and a dissolvable protective layer, which can be activated upon contact with a releasing medium to form a synthetic biofilm for effective skin microbiome modulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If live probiotics are added to skincare products, then skin health benefits are improved, but probiotic survival is reduced due to preservatives and water-rich environment
Solution Approach 1:
The probiotic product is segmented into distinct functional layers: a protective outer layer containing preservatives and a probiotic-containing inner layer. This segmentation allows the preservatives to protect the overall product while the probiotics remain isolated in their own environment, resolving the contradiction between needing preservatives for product stability and maintaining probiotic viability.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective outer layer acts as an intermediary between the harmful preservatives/water-rich environment and the probiotics. This intermediate layer shields the probiotics from direct exposure to harmful factors while still allowing the product to maintain its preservative system for overall stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If common skincare product formulations are used, then product stability is improved, but probiotic colonization ability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The formulation is segmented into an outer stability-providing layer and an inner colonization-providing layer. The outer layer contains conventional skincare ingredients that ensure product stability, while the inner layer contains probiotics and prebiotics that enable colonization, allowing both requirements to be met simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the product have different qualities: the outer layer is optimized for stability with preservatives and conventional ingredients, while the inner layer is optimized for probiotic survival and colonization with prebiotics and protective components. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between overall product stability and probiotic adaptability.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If probiotics are kept in dormant state for storage, then shelf-life is improved, but activation and colonization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The probiotics are prepared in advance in a dormant or protected state within the inner layer, along with prebiotics and protective agents. This preliminary preparation ensures long shelf-life during storage, while the formulation is designed so that upon application to skin, the probiotics automatically activate and colonize without requiring additional activation steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The encapsulated probiotics can survive in unfavorable skincare product conditions, maintain viability, and effectively colonize on the skin, providing long-term beneficial effects and improving skin health by modulating the skin microbiome.
Implementation Method 1
a dissolvable protective layer for protecting the probiotic core-shell particle from oxidation, heat and humidity
Implementation Method 2
at least one prebiotic as a food source for the probiotic
Implementation Method 3
a carrier particle core serving as a nutrient source of probiotics
Data Source
AI summary
An inedible and dry dormant state encapsulated probiotic core-shell particle for external, non-mucosal skin application is provided. From inside out, the core-shell particle has a structure of a carrier particle core serving as a nutrient source for probiotics, a first layer including a dormant probiotic species for affecting epidermal biome and at least one prebiotic as a food source for the probiotic, a polymer layer positioned over the first layer, and a dissolvable protective layer for protecting the probiotic core-shell particle from oxidation, heat and humidity. By co-applying with a releasing medium, the dissolvable protective layer and the polymer layer are dissolved to expose the dormant probiotic containing layer, the first layer. Further, the releasing medium also is able to activate and reconstitute the dormant probiotic to a live probiotic on the applied non-mucosal epidermal surface.