Essential oils (EOs) are natural antioxidant alternatives that reduce skin damage. However, EOs are highly volatile; therefore, their nanoencapsulation represents a feasible alternative to increase their stability and favor their residence time on the skin to guarantee their effect. In this study, EOs of Rosmarinus officinalis and Lavandula dentata were nanoencapsulated and evaluated as skin delivery systems with potential antioxidant activity. The EOs were characterized and incorporated into polymeric nanocapsules (NC-EOs) using nanoprecipitation. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the ferric thiocyanate method. The ex vivo effects on pig skin were evaluated based on biophysical parameters using bioengineering techniques. An ex vivo dermatokinetic evaluation on pig skin was performed using modified Franz cells and the tape-stripping technique. The results showed that the EOs had good antioxidant activity (>65%), which was maintained after nanoencapsulation and purification. The nanoencapsulation of the EOs favored its deposition in the stratum corneum compared to free EOs; the highest deposition rate was obtained for 1,8-cineole, a major component of L. dentata, at 1 h contact time, compared to R. officinalis with a major deposition of the camphor component. In conclusion, NC-EOs can be used as an alternative antioxidant for skin care.

Los extractos de plantas son una rica fuente de compuestos naturales con propiedades antioxidantes, con potencial aplicación en la prevención o tratamiento de enfermedades crónico degenerativas de importancia en nuestro país. Los cladodios de Opuntia ficus-indica son una fuente de mucílago, un complejo de fitoquímicos y otros nutrientes, el cual podría representar un nutracéutico natural con una importante capacidad antioxidante. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la técnica de extracción de licuado-centrifugado de Opuntia ficus-indica, con diferentes solventes, calculando el porcentaje de rendimiento de extracción, contenido total de fenoles y capacidad antioxidante como equivalentes de Trolox de diferentes variedades de O. ficus-indica. La técnica de extracción permitió obtener mucílagos con porcentajes de rendimiento mayores a 10 %. La variedad Jalpa presentó la mejor capacidad antioxidante con 0.616 µmoles ET/ g peso seco y un mayor contenido de fenoles con 10.35 ± 0.95 mg EAG/g peso seco. El mucílago obtenido tiene propiedades que lo recomiendan como un material natural que puede utilizarse como potencial antioxidante. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54167/tch.v18i2.1395

Functional foods enriched with plant-derived bioactive compounds have emerged as promising complementary dietary strategies to improve glycemic regulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties, sensory acceptance, and microbiological characteristics of a functional yogurt enriched with Moringa oleifera leaf extract, as well as its effect on blood glucose levels in an alloxan-induced diabetic rat model. Phytochemical characterization of the hydroethanolic leaf extract by HPLC and direct-infusion ESI-IT-MS² revealed phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol, together with additional glycosylated flavonoids. M. oleifera extract increased the yogurt’s protein content. Sensory evaluation indicated moderate acceptance compared to natural yogurt, with color being the least-accepted attribute. Microbiological analysis showed no inhibitory effect against representative bacterial genera of the gastrointestinal microbiota under the experimental conditions evaluated. In vivo evaluation in alloxan-induced diabetic female Wistar rats demonstrated a significant reduction in blood glucose levels, from 396.50 ± 17.85 mg/dL to 254.50 ± 32.79 mg/dL after 15 days of treatment. These findings support further investigation of M. oleifera functional yogurt as a potential functional food in the context of glycemic control.