Abstract
Castanea sativa fruit processing generates high amounts of by-products, mostly bur. Currently, the cosmetic industry has a great interest in natural extracts as antioxidant sources. In the present study, C. sativa bur extract was used as the active ingredient, in different amounts, in topical hydrogels. The formulations were characterized regarding total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC, respectively), antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) and technological and microbiological properties. The same parameters were evaluated after 30 days of storage at 4 °C (T30/4 °C) and 20 °C (T30/20 °C). At time 0 (T0), the TPC ranged between 0.79 and 9.65 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g gel, while TFC varied from 0.05 to 1.23 mg of catechin equivalents (CAE)/g gel. Antioxidant activity was high for both assays, with values at T0 ranging between 98.41 and 1013.43 µmol of ferrous sulphate equivalents (FSE)/g gel and varying between 431.96 and 990.84 µg of Trolox equivalents (TE)/g gel for FRAP and DPPH assays, respectively. No formulation exceeded the defined criteria in microbiological counts. All formulations showed similar technological profiles but particular attention should be given to pH. The gel with 50% of extract (F3) was selected as the best one for potential cosmetic applications.
Highlights
Castanea sativa Mill., known as “sweet chestnut”, is a species of the Fagaceae family common to south Europe and Asia
In what concerns a*, gels with 25% (F2) and 50% of extract (F3) exhibited positive values at time 0 (T0) (2.70 and 0.43, respectively) associated to the redness, while the gels without extract (F1) and with the highest extract amount (F4)
The cosmetic industry is a field on the rise, increasing the demand for novel ingredients, preferably from natural sources
Summary
Castanea sativa Mill., known as “sweet chestnut”, is a species of the Fagaceae family common to south Europe and Asia (mainly in China). High amounts of by-products are generated by chestnut processing chains, mainly shell and bur. Some studies have reported the potentialities of C. sativa by-products, such as leaf, shell and bur, disclosing its richness in antioxidant constituents. C. sativa bur had no described application and usually remains in the woodland after fruit harvesting, promoting the insect larvae proliferation [5]. The valorisation of this waste represents a new challenge for the chestnut chain in order to encourage the research of Cosmetics 2017, 4, 50; doi:10.3390/cosmetics4040050 www.mdpi.com/journal/cosmetics
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