(P03-011-23) Cranberry Juice Consumption Modulated Skin Lipids and Microbiome in a Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: The composition of lipids and bacteria in the skin plays a major role in skin homeostasis. This study aimed to determine how cranberry juice consumption affects the composition of skin lipids and microbiome using a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over design.

Methods: The research was approved by IRB and registered on Clinicialtrials.gov (NCT04183920). Twenty healthy women aged 25-65 with Fitzpatrick skin types 2 and 3 consumed cranberry juice (192 mg procyanidins) or a placebo for six weeks. Following a 21-day wash-out period, participants switched to the opposite beverage for additional 6 weeks. At baseline and after six-week, skin lipids were collected by tape stripping and skin microbiome was collected by skin swabbing on the forearm. Stratum corneum lipid panel was assessed in participants (TrueMass^®, Metabolon, Inc.). Skin microbiome DNA from 12 participants was sequenced using whole metagenomic sequencing at Cosmo ID Inc and analyzed using the Cosmo ID Genius bioinformatics software package for taxa identification and diversity assessments.

Results: Cranberry juice consumption caused an overall increase in skin ceramides compared to baseline (p≤0.05). Multilevel partial least squared discriminant analysis revealed 20 lipids that were discriminant between cranberry juice or placebo juice at baseline or post-consumption. Spearman correlation analysis showed significant correlations between discriminant lipids, elasticity, transepidermal water loss, and other skin conditions measured at baseline and post-consumption on the forearm (p≤0.05). Cranberry juice consumption did not affect α or β diversity. Maaslin2 revealed that cranberry juice significantly increased the relative abundance of Staphylococcus epidermidis compared to baseline (q≤0.25). In addition, several other bacteria at the species and strain level were significantly modulated compared to baseline and the placebo (q≤0.25). Spearman correlation analysis showed a significant correlation between species and strain taxa and discriminant lipids (p≤0.05).

Conclusions: Cranberry juice consumption for 6 weeks caused correlated changes in skin lipids and microbiome. Both correlated with skin conditions on the forearm.

Funding Sources: Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.