The rapidly emerging need of bioactive natural products, and their applications especially in the pharmaceuticals, has forced the research in the field of the alternative solvents suitable for green extraction. These solvents should have high solvency, high flash points with low toxicity and low environmental impacts, be easily biodegradable, obtained from renewable resources at a reasonable price and should be easy to recycle.
The plant extracts of the Helichrysum Italicum, as discussed in an older post, are becoming increasingly popular ingredients in cosmetic products, but the need of new extractions techniques leads the challenge at a higher level. An interesting study by Marijan et al. [1] on the extraction of phenolics from Helichrysum Italicum opens to new in-depth analysis for future human use of the extracts.
As already known, Helichrysum Italicum is a Mediterranean plant, it represents a rich source of versatile bioactive compounds with potential benefits for human health. In the traditional Mediterranean medicine but also in medicinal plant-based economies worldwide, the plant is mostly used for respiratory, digestive and dermatological disorders, including allergies, colds, cough, liver and gallbladder disorders, sleeplessness, skin inflammation, and infections. It is not surprising that recently, its use in cosmetic products has been experiencing an unprecedented rise: it is widely considered that H. italicum-based products can efficiently delay and even prevent skin aging.
Numerous studies have shown that essential oil, phenolic and other compounds, present in the plant and its extracts, are desirable preservatives and functional ingredients in cosmetic products due to their antioxidant and antibacterial activity and their ability to decrease skin irritation and accelerate wound healing in vivo [1].
In general, plant extracts are becoming increasingly popular ingredients in cosmetic products. However, to incorporate bioactive plant metabolites into the cosmetic formulations, they first must be efficiently extracted from plant material. One of the fast-evolving areas of medicinal plant research is the design of green and sustainable extraction methods for bioactive natural products. Besides high dissolving power, the ideal solvent should be safe, both to humans and the environment.
Among such solvents, in the study of Marijan et al. [1] a prominent place is occupied by aqueous solutions of cyclodextrins (CDs). Furthermore, CD-assisted extraction (CDAE) of plant phenols was proven to be a green and cost-effective alternative to traditional extraction with organic solvents.
The work tried to optimize extraction of phenolics from H. Italicum aerial parts using CDAE. Anti-elastase and anti-collagenase activity of the prepared extracts were investigated with the aim of obtaining highly active extracts suitable for use in cosmetic products. The prepared extracts were appropriate for use in cosmetic products without solvent evaporation, however, prior to their inclusion in products for human use, further research on the biological properties and stability of the prepared extracts should be performed [1].
[1] Marijan,M.; Tomi´c, D.; Strawa, J.W.; Jakupovi´c, L.; Ini´c, S.; Jug, M.; Tomczyk,M.; Zovko Konˇci´c,M. Optimization of Cyclodextrin-Assisted Extraction of Phenolics from Helichrysum italicum for Preparation of Extracts with Anti-Elastase and Anti-Collagenase Properties. Metabolites 2023, 13, 257.
