Enhancement of anti-acne effect of Scutellaria baicalensis extract by fermentation with symbiotic fungus Penicillium decumbens

Inflammatory responses stimulated by Propionibacterium acnes have been shown to be major etiological factors in the pathogenesis of acne. Scutellaria baicalensis, a popular traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, primary component analysis and primary effective component analysis were conducted. The results showed that wogonin (1.15 mg/g S. baicalensis extract) possessed better anti-acne effects than wogonoside (8.71 mg/g S. baicalensis extract) in inhibiting the up-regulation of IL-1β and IL-8 level caused by P. acnes via inactivation of the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. To enhance the anti-acne effects of S. baicalensis extract, an environmentally friendly and healthy plant fermentation strategy was used to efficiently convert glycoside-type constituents into bioactive aglycone. S. baicalensis extract was fermented by symbiotic fungus Penicillium decumbens f3-1 to transform wogonoside into wogonin with a conversion rate of 91.0% after 4 days. Fermented S. baicalensis extract (FSE) showed higher potential anti-acne effects than non-fermented S. baicalensis extract (NSE) by inhibiting the up-regulation of IL-1β and IL-8. Thus, P. decumbens-fermented S. baicalensis Extract may be used for developing new anti-acne cosmetic ingredients.