Sphingolipid identification and skin barrier recovery capacity of a milk sphingolipid‐enriched fraction (MSEF) from buttermilk powder

Objective In this study, we isolated the milk sphingolipid‐enriched fraction (MSEF) of sweet buttermilk powder and conducted a clinical trial for evaluating its efficacy in skin barrier recovery. Methods Milk sphingolipid‐enriched fraction was isolated via solvent extraction of buttermilk powder, and further concentrated by removing the phospholipids and neutral lipids. A cream containing 1% MSEF was used during clinical trials to assess for water holding and skin barrier recovery capacities. Results The main components of the MSEF were sphingomyelin, glucosylceramide and lactosylceramide, confirmed by TLC, HPLC, MS and NMR. The MSEF cream‐treated group had a significantly higher (P