Exploring Extremophiles: A Novel and Sustainable Path for Innovation in the Cosmetic Industry
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…Michelle Han and Giorgio Dell’Acqua
he cosmetic industry is dynamic and ever-changing; driven by the desire to advance product efficacy through innovative and sustainable practices. Sustainability is of growing significance among consumers, and brands have started to introduce products to the market that contain ingredients with a sustainable fingerprint.1 Extremophiles are interesting organisms that can be grown sustainably to produce innovative biomolecules that may be used in cosmetic formulations.2 This article will explore extremophiles and their unique characteristics, adaptations, and protective mechanisms that allow for their novel and transformative application in the cosmetic industry.
n Introduction
Extremophiles are organisms that thrive in harsh environments that are otherwise uninhabitable to others.3 The classification of extremophile depends on the type of extreme condition in which it resides. Extremophilic organisms are present in environments of extreme temperature, salinity, pH, pressure, and radiation.3,4 Thermophiles are organisms that survive very high temperatures (60 – 80 °C).3 Psychrophiles are organisms that survive very cold temperatures (−20 °C – 10 °C).3 Halophiles survive in habitats of high salinity (0.85–3.4M NaCl).3 Acidophiles are organisms that survive extreme acidic conditions (< pH 5) and alkaliphiles are organisms that survive extreme basic conditions (> pH 9).3,4 Piezophiles are organisms that thrive in environments of high hydrostatic pressure (40–110 MPa).3,4 Radiophiles are organisms that can withstand extreme amounts of radiation.4 Lastly, polyextremophiles refer to extremophilic organisms that survive in more than one type of extreme parameter.2 Extremophilic organisms have a variety of mechanisms to endure their harsh environments. They undergo unique biological adaptations that enable them to remain stable in extreme conditions and produce specialized biomolecules in the form of enzymes and proteins that allow their metabolic processes to proceed despite the challenges posed by their environments.4 These biomolecules may serve roles such as protecting cellular structures, facilitating metabolic reactions, and enhancing the extremophile’s overall resilience to environmental challenges.2,5,6 Thermophiles survive elevated temperatures due to heat stabilized enzymes, or thermozymes, which allow for elevated catabolic activity at high temperatures.2,6 Psychrophiles have cold-activated enzymes, or psychrophilic enzymes, which allow for high catabolic activity at low temperatures.2,6 Halophiles survive in high-salinity environments through adaptations that prevent protein aggregation and dehydration, which occur due to reduced water availability for internal proteins.5 Acidophiles and alkaliphiles have adaptations that help maintain intracellular pH homeostasis as they require a cellular pH near neutral to conduct essential cellular functions.5 Piezophiles withstand high-pressure environments through the production of compatible solutes, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidant proteins that help maintain cellular integrity and protect against stress imposed by high pressure environments.4 (continued on Page 5) Radiophiles thrive in environments of high oxidative stress and radiation due to their extensive ability to repair
T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N O F H A I R C A R E • F E B R U A R Y 2 9 ...see page 10-12 for more information.