Abstract
Plectranthus ecklonii Benth. has widespread ethnobotanical use in African folk medicine for its medicinal properties in skin conditions. In this study, two different basic formulations containing P. ecklonii extracts were prepared, one in an organic solvent and the other using water. The aqueous extract only contained rosmarinic acid (RA) at 2.02 mM, and the organic extract contained RA and parvifloron D at 0.29 and 3.13 mM, respectively. RA in aqueous solution permeated skin; however, in P. ecklonii organic extract, this was not detected. Thus, P. ecklonii aqueous extract was further studied and combined with benzophenone-4, which elevated the sun protection factor (SPF) by 19.49%. No significant cytotoxic effects were observed from the aqueous extract. The Staphylococcus epidermidis strain was used to determine a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 10 µg·mL−1. The aqueous extract inhibited the activity of acetylcholinesterase by 59.14 ± 4.97%, and the IC50 value was 12.9 µg·mL−1. The association of the P. ecklonii extract with a UV filter substantially elevated its SPF efficacy. Following the multiple bioactivities of the extract and its active substances, a finished product could be claimed as a multifunctional cosmeceutical with broad skin valuable effects, from UV protection to antiaging action.
Highlights
The use of plants for medicinal purposes has been continuous throughout human history.Nowadays, there is an increasing academic, commercial, regulatory, and public interest in medicinal plants, and in the last decades, there has been a sharp increase in the inclusion of plant extracts and essential oils in health products
These results showed that rosmarinic acid (RA) and parvifloron D do not permeate the epidermis in detectable amounts, which suggests that these phytochemicals may exert their antioxidant/free radical scavenging activity mainly at the cutaneous surface
These antimicrobial results are in agreement with other Plectranthus spp. extract studies studies [9,12], which encourage the use of these extracts as new ingredients for skin formulation
Summary
There is an increasing academic, commercial, regulatory, and public interest in medicinal plants, and in the last decades, there has been a sharp increase in the inclusion of plant extracts and essential oils in health products. This tendency can be explained, amongst other factors, by the Pharmaceuticals 2020, 13, 120; doi:10.3390/ph13060120 www.mdpi.com/journal/pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals 2020, 13, 120 essential oils in health products This tendency can be explained, amongst other factors, by the satisfaction that consumers experience when buying “naturals”, since they are perceived as being satisfaction that consumers experience when buying “naturals”, since they are perceived as being safer safer than “synthetic” ingredients [1]. Plectranthus species (Lamiaceae) contain several antioxidant compounds and and Southern America. It exhibit more than a few effects such as antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities
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