Submerged fermentation with significantly improved the physiological activities of flower extract.

The physiological activity of the 50% ethanolic extract of flower before and after fermentation was investigated in this study. flowers grown in Taiwan were extracted using 100% methanol or 50% ethanol and then fermented by one of six microbes: four species of lactic acid bacteria (, , , and ) anaerobically cultivated in MRS broth and two species of mold ( and ) aerobically cultivated in potato dextrose broth. The 50% ethanolic extract of flowers exhibited higher tyrosinase inhibition (IC: 200.8 ± 11.6 mg/L) and antioxidative activity than did a 100% methanolic extract (IC: 274.1 ± 15.7 mg/L). The 50% ethanolic extract fermented by (-fermented extract) exhibited the highest yield (86.2% ± 1.2%) and physiological activity. The -fermented extract exhibited over 5.2-, 13.5-, 12.5-, 3.17-, and 4.29-fold higher antityrosinase activity, antioxidative activity, antibacterial activity, total flavonoid content, and antiwrinkle activity than did the unfermented extract. The -fermented extract can be considered safe because it exerted no toxic effect on CCD-966SK or HEMn cells at concentrations of 400 and 200 mg/L, respectively. The fermented extract (40 mg/L) inhibited melanin formation, reducing it to 50.8% ± 2.3%. Furthermore, the -fermented extract exhibited excellent antiaging and antiwrinkle activity, as determined from MMP-1, MMP-2, elastase, and collagenase activity. The improvement in physiological characteristics, especially the considerable formation of neohesperidin, is mainly attributable to biosynthesis or biotransformation by during fermentation. In conclusion, the 50% ethanolic extract of flowers fermented with can be used in cosmetics applications aiming for skin-whitening or antiwrinkle properties.