BACKGROUND

L. (WT), a common herbal plant in Vietnam, is popularly used as a strong antioxidant in Vietnamese folk medicine. However, limited studies have reported the application of WT flower in cosmeceutical area.

PURPOSE

This study explored the potentials of WT loaded fibroin microparticles (FMPs-WT) as a novel anti-aging cosmeceutical product.

METHODS

The WT flower was firstly extracted by maceration with methanol, ethanol 60%, and ethanol 96%, and its chemical compositions and total polyphenol content were investigated. Then, the FMPs-WT were developed by desolvation method and physicochemically characterized. Finally, the product antioxidant activities were in-vitro determined using DPPH assay.

RESULTS

The optimal WT extract was the ethanol 60% extract, which contains polyphenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, and organic acids; with a total polyphenol content of 46.47 ± 2.32 mg GAE/g plant powder. The FMPs-WT were successfully formulated, with a distinct silk-II polymorph; varied sizes of 0.592 to 9.820 µm, depending on the fibroin concentrations and the WT extraction solvent; high entrapment efficiencies of >65%; and sustained-release patterns of polyphenol in pH 7.4 for >6 h. Regarding the antioxidant activity, the pure WT flower extracts possessed high scavenging actions with IC of 7.98 ± 0.40 µg/mL, comparable with the standard ascorbic acid (IC = 4.23 ± 0.21 µg/mL). Moreover, the FMPs-WT could retain the extract antioxidant capacity, and exert the effects in a timely manner, corresponding to its release profile.

CONCLUSION

The FMPs-WT could be further investigated to become a potential anti-aging cosmeceutical product in the market.