What is ectoine used for?

Ectoine is a bacteria-derived extremolyte that can protect proteins and biological membranes from damage caused by extreme environmental conditions like heat, UV light, high osmolarity, or dryness. It helps protect the cellular functioning of microorganisms living in extreme environments such as deserts, salt lakes, ice flows, and hot sulfurous springs.

Ectoine is a superior moisturizer with long-term efficacy and an active ingredient in skincare and sun protection products. It stabilizes proteins and other cellular structures and protects the skin from stresses like UV irradiation and dryness.

In preclinical studies, ectoine was shown to protect lung and skin cells against the damage induced by toxic pollution particles and to prevent the subsequent activation of inflammatory cascades. A similar effect was observed in model systems for inflammatory bowel disease. Interestingly, ectoine can stabilize lipid layers in pulmonary surfactants, as well as the tear film of the eyes, against physical stress.

Topically applied ectoine effectiveness in upper airway inflammations such as acute pharyngitis/laryngitis, rhinosinusitis, rhinitis sicca, and acute bronchitis. In addition, several trials showed the efficacy of ectoine in various diseases with barrier dysfunctions, such as rhinitis sicca, chemotherapy-induced mucositis, lung inflammation caused by environmental pollutants, prevention of upper respiratory infections, and atopic dermatitis. Moreover, studies on allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and dry eye syndrome have been published.

References

[1] Andreas Bilstein. “Ectoine in the Treatment of Irritations and Inflammations of the Eye Surface.” BioMed Research International 2021 (2021): 8885032.

[2] Ruediger Graf PhD . “The multifunctional role of ectoine as a natural cell protectant.” Clinics in dermatology 26 4 (2008): Pages 326-333.

[3] Andreas Bilstein. “Ectoine in the Treatment of Irritations and Inflammations of the Eye Surface.” BioMed Research International 2021 (2021): 8885032.

Ectoine is a naturally occurring, compatible solute produced by various extremophiles to survive in extreme environmental conditions such as high salinity, extreme temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, and drought. It is primarily used as a potent bioactive ingredient in the cosmetics and skincare industries: it possesses excellent moisturizing, hydrating, and skin barrier repair properties, relieving skin irritation and sensitivity caused by environmental stressors such as ultraviolet radiation, dry air, and harsh skincare products, and soothing inflamed or damaged skin. Therefore, it is an ideal ingredient in formulations for sensitive, dry, or sunburned skin (such as serums, creams, and toners). Beyond cosmetics, ectoine also has broad application prospects in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields: it can protect proteins, enzymes, and cell membranes from denaturation and damage under extreme conditions, and is therefore used to stabilize the production, storage, and transportation of biopharmaceutical products such as vaccines, antibodies, and recombinant proteins.

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