Dietary Ceramide Prepared from Soy Sauce Lees Improves Skin Barrier Function in Hairless Mice

J Oleo Sci. 2021 Sep 4;70(9):1325-1334. doi: 10.5650/jos.ess21128. Epub 2021 Aug 6.

Abstract

Dietary sphingolipids such as glucosylceramide and sphingomyelin are known to improve the skin barrier function of damaged skin. In this study, we focused on free-ceramide prepared from soy sauce lees, which is a byproduct of soy sauce production. The effects of dietary soy sauce lees ceramide on the skin of normal mice were evaluated and compared with those of dietary maize glucosylceramide. We found that transepidermal water loss value was significantly suppressed by dietary supplementation with soy sauce lees ceramide as effectively as or more effectively than maize glucosylceramide. Although the content of total and each subclass of ceramide in the epidermis was not significantly altered by dietary sphingolipids, that of 12 types of ceramide molecules, which were not present in dietary sources, was significantly increased upon ingestion of maize glucosylceramide and showed a tendency to increase with soy sauce lees ceramide intake. In addition, the mRNA expression of ceramide synthase 4 and involucrin in the skin was downregulated by sphingolipids. This study, for the first time, demonstrated that dietary soy sauce lees ceramide enhances skin barrier function in normal hairless mice, although further studies are needed to clarify the molecular mechanism.

Keywords: ceramide; glucosylceramide; maize; skin barrier function; soy sauce lees.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ceramides / isolation & purification*
  • Ceramides / pharmacology*
  • Dietary Supplements*
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Epidermis / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Glucosylceramides / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Hairless
  • Protein Precursors / genetics
  • Protein Precursors / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Skin / metabolism*
  • Skin Physiological Phenomena / drug effects*
  • Soy Foods / analysis*
  • Sphingolipids / pharmacology
  • Sphingosine N-Acyltransferase / genetics
  • Sphingosine N-Acyltransferase / metabolism
  • Water Loss, Insensible / drug effects

Substances

  • Ceramides
  • Glucosylceramides
  • Protein Precursors
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Sphingolipids
  • involucrin
  • CERS4 protein, mouse
  • Sphingosine N-Acyltransferase