Abstract:

This study aims to evaluate the skin barrier repair efficacy of the skincare ingredient Lactobacillus fermentation lysate VHProbi MixR and clarify its potential mechanism of action. This material is an equal-ratio mixture of lysates derived from four probiotic ferments. LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics was used to analyze the chemical components of VHProbi MixR. Network pharmacology was employed to predict its potential targets and related pathways. A lactic acid-induced zebrafish skin barrier injury model was established to assess the repair effect of VHProbi MixR at different concentrations. Transcriptomics and RT-qPCR were combined to verify the core pathways and differential gene expression. VHProbi MixR contains 2 176 metabolites, mainly including organic acids and their derivatives, lipids and lipid-like molecules, with various active components such as nicotinamide. Network pharmacology identifie 678 potential targets, among which the key target GSK3B is closely associated with skin barrier repair-related pathways. Zebrafish experiments show that VHProbi MixR （50 and 200 mL/L） significantly reduces the fluorescent staining area of damaged skin （P<0.001）, with a more pronounced effect in the high-dose group. Transcriptomic and qPCR verification indicate that VHProbi MixR activates the Notch signaling pathway and upregulates the expression of downstream target genes, including her4, her12, and hey1. Collectively, VHProbi MixR exerts skin barrier repair effects by acting on the GSK3B target to activate the Notch signaling pathway, thereby promoting keratinocyte differentiation and regulating tight junction proteins. These findings demonstrate its promising potential for application in skincare products.

Key words: VHProbi MixR, skin barrier, Notch signaling pathway, GSK3B, repair