CHARACTERIZATION OF SUNFLOWER STEM JUICE AND EXTRACT FROM DIFFERENT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, AS INNOVATIVE INGREDIENT FOR COSMETICS

Abstract

Sunflower stem juice and hot water extracts obtained from different varieties of sunflower plants, raised in different climatic and geographic conditions were analyzed. Raw material for the extracts come from Austria, Romania and Spain and was processed in Hungary. The saccharide profile of sunflower stem juice and extract was registered, using a HPLC method with UV detection. The total polyphenol content was investigated by means of Folin-Ciocalteu method and flavonoid content with Dowd method, using AlCl3 as reagent. Sucrose and maltose were the most abundant sugars in hot water extract (mean 0.284±0.17 g% and 0.225± 0.09 g% respectively), while glucose, fructose and rhamnose were found in small quantities and only in a few samples. In stem juice (pressed from raw stems) the quantity of fructose and glucose was higher (mean 0.967 and 0.346 g% respectively) and almost in all samples. Polyphenol content of the samples was situated between 0.035 and 0.483 mgGAE/ml extract, while total flavonoid content ranged between 0.002 and 0.707 mgQE/ml extract. The % of inhibition showed a large distribution between values, showing that DPPH method is not appropriate for water extracts. Becouse of the antioxidant substances present in the extracts and juice, it is suitable to use them as ingredients in cosmetic formulations. Multivariate statistical techniques were used to investigate the correlations between the different parameter results. Submitted to : 6 International Symposium “Prospects for the 3 Millennium Agriculture” USAMV Cluj-Napoca, Romania