Beneficial Effects of <i>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</i> subsp. <i>paracasei</i> ABF21013 on Skin Health by Regulating MMPs Production and EGFR Signal Pathway

Increased ultraviolet (UV) exposure due to ozone depletion significantly affects human skin health. Recent skin research has been exploring various interventions to counteract the effects of UV-induced photoaging. UV directly affects skin components such as collagen and natural moisturizing factors (NMF), which are essential for the skin's structural integrity and hydration. Recent studies on the gut-skin axis have shown that certain probiotic strains could significantly improve skin aging. So, we examined the effect of ABF21013 on pro-collagen production and hyaluronic acid secretion using skin tissue from UVB-induced mice treated with ABF21013. Our findings reveal that ABF21013 reduced the total number of wrinkles and skin thickness by up-regulating MMP degradation and pro-collagen biosynthesis. These results indicate that ABF21013 can regulate wrinkle formation through the enhancement of collagen. Additionally, we observed downregulated transepidermal water loss (TEWL) regarding skin moisturizing. We also detected increased expression of EGFR ligands, AMPKα, hyaluronan synthase (HAS) -1/-2, and filaggrin. We have proved that ABF21013 can protect the skin barrier by activating the EGFR signaling pathway. Taken together, these results demonstrated that <i>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</i> subsp. <i>paracasei</i> ABF21013 can enhance skin function by maintaining hydration and elasticity in a UVB-irradiated mouse model.