Polysaccharides from Volvariella volvacea (VVP) were investigated for their cosmetic-related activities and in vivo efficacy for use as a multifunctional active cosmetic ingredient. Three different polysaccharide extraction methods, including hot water shaking (HS), microwave-assisted (MA) and ultrasonic-assisted (UA), were used. Extractable yield, polysaccharide contents and biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and anti-elastase activities, were compared. The polysaccharides from HS provided the highest extraction yield (15.58 ± 0.96% w/w) and the highest beta-glucan content (18.80 ± 0.81% w/w). The HS polysaccharides also possessed the highest inhibitory effects toward lipid peroxidation (IC₅₀ of 0.0378 mg/mL), tyrosinase (51.46 mg KAE/g), and elastase (604.21 ± 73.66 mg EGCG/g). The cytotoxicity of the VVP was determined for safe use. A cosmetic gel cream containing VVP was developed and 0.2% VVP formulation was observed to be the most stable in color. UV protection factors, skin irritation by single patch test, and in vivo efficacy, including skin moisturization, anti-wrinkle and whitening, were measured. The VVP showed no cytotoxicity against human dermal skin fibroblast. The gel cream containing VVP provided less sun protection factor; however, it significantly exhibited the skin benefits of increasing moisture, gross elasticity, net elasticity, and skin firmness. Improvements to skin roughness, scaliness, wrinkles and in melanin content were also depicted gradually along 8 weeks. V. volvacea, therefore, could be a good source for polysaccharides being used as a moisturizing, anti-wrinkle, and whitening agent in cosmetic preparations.

Solid-based residues (SBRs) left from harvesting the fruiting bodies of cultured Cordyceps mushrooms are a challenge to sustainability. Therefore, in this study, the SBRs from the cultivation of Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) via solid-state fermentation (SSF) were employed to prepare crude extracts, with the aim of considering their possible use in cosmetics. The SBRs obtained from cultivation with solid media containing defatted rice bran mixed with barley, white rice, Riceberry rice, and wheat were named SBR-B, SBR-R, SBR-Rb, and SRB-W, respectively. They were extracted with solvents of differing polarity and then evaluated for their total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total carbohydrate content (TCC). In addition, antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities, photoprotection, and cytotoxicity were also assessed. The results revealed that the total bioactive contents and biological capacities of crude SBR extracts were significantly influenced by the types of SBR and extraction solvent (p < 0.05). The SBR-B extracted with hot water exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (66.62 ± 2.10, 212.00 ± 3.43, and 101.62 ± 4.42 mg TEAC/g extract) when assayed by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods, respectively, whereas tyrosinase inhibitory activity (51.13 ± 1.11 mg KAE/g extract) with 90.43 ± 1.96% inhibition at 1 mg/mL was excellently achieved by SBR-Rb extracted by 50% (v/v) ethanol. Correlations between bioactive contents in the crude extracts and their biological activities were mostly proven at a strong level (p < 0.01). The capability of the crude extracts to absorb UV over the range of 290–330 nm disclosed their potential roles as natural UV absorbers and boosters. Cytotoxicity analysis using fibroblast cell lines tested with hot water and 50% (v/v) ethanolic SBR extracts demonstrated safe use within a concentration range of 0.001–10 mg/mL. Interestingly, their fibroblast proliferative capacity, indicating anti-aging properties, was highly promoted. The chemical composition analyzed via LC–MS/MS techniques showed that seven phenolic acids and four flavonoids were identified in the crude SBR extracts. Furthermore, the other compounds present included nucleosides, nucleobases, amino acids, sugars, phospholipids, alkaloids, organic acids, vitamins, and peptides. Therefore, it is emphasized that SBRs from C. militaris can be a prospective source for preparing crude extracts employed in cosmetics. Lastly, they could be further utilized as multifunctional ingredients in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals.

Essential oils of plants have been used widely in cosmetic preparations. Being both perfuming and active ingredients, the functions of essential oils mean they are high-value ingredients. In this study, the leaf of Etlingera elatior (Jack) or Torch ginger was used. The essential oils (EO) were prepared by conventional hydrodistillation (HD) and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD). The volatile compounds of EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography spectroscopy (GC-MS). The antioxidant activities by means of DPPH radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were determined. The inhibition of tyrosinase activity was investigated. The cytotoxicity was performed against human fibroblast cell lines (NIH/3T3) and melanoma cell lines (A375 and B16F10). The decreasing melanin content was measured in melanoma cell lines. The resulting essential oils were detected for 41 compounds from HD extraction dominants by terpenes, namely sesquiterpenes (48.499%) and monoterpenes (19.419%), while 26 compounds were detected from MAHD with the fatty alcohols as the major group. The higher antioxidant activities were found in HD EO (IC50 of 16.25 ± 0.09 mg/mL from DPPH assay and 0.91 ± 0.01 mg TEAC/g extract from FRAP assay). The survival of normal fibroblast cell lines remained at 90% at 500 µg/mL HD EO, where the EO possessed the half-maximal toxicity dose (TD50) of 214.85 ± 4.647 and 241.128 ± 2.134 μg/mL on B16F10 and A375 cell lines, respectively. This could suggest that the EO is highly selective against the melanoma cell lines. The melanin content was decreased at the half-maximum efficacy (IC50) at 252.12 ± 3.02 and 253.56 ± 3.65 in the A375 and B1610 cell lines, respectively, which were approximately 2.8-fold lower than kojic acid, the standard compound. The results of this study evidence the use of Etlingera elatior (Jack) leaf as a source of essential oil as an active agent in cosmetics.

This study aimed to optimize the green synthesis of glucose palm oleate catalyzed by Carica papaya Lipase (CPL) through transesterification in a solvent-free system. Palm olein was used as a fatty acid donor for transesterification reactant and was also employed as a reaction medium. Reaction optimization was performed by using response surface methodology (RSM). Seventeen synthesis conditions were generated by a Box–Behnken design and the products were further determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Fatty acid compositions of palm olein identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) found that oleic acid (51.77 ± 0.67%) and palmitic acid (37.22 ± 0.48%) were major components. The synthesis variable factors of 50 °C, 45 h reaction time, and 1400 U of CPL were predicted by the RSM to be optimum conditions and thus provided the highest glucose palm oleate of 0.3542 mmol/g. Conjugation between palm olein fatty acids and glucose via transesterification resulted in glucose palm oleate being obviously verified by UPLC, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analyses. The synthesized sugar fatty acid ester revealed an HLB value of 6.20 represented by the lowest % creaming index (%CI) of 35.40 ± 3.21%. It also exhibited a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 3.16 × 10⁻⁵ M. This study is the first report to reveal the transesterification of glucose and palm olein catalyzed by CPL in a system without using any solvent. Glucose palm oleate has been shown to be derived from an environmentally friendly synthesis process and would be promising as a potential alternative natural surfactant for cosmetic application.

Galangal (Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd) and bitter ginger (Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe) are aromatic rhizomatous plants that are typically used for culinary purposes. These rhizomatous plants have many biological properties and the potential to be beneficial for pharmaceutics. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, with a specific focus on acne-causing bacteria, as well as the phytochemical constituents, of different parts of galangal and bitter ginger. The rhizomes, stems, and leaves of galangal and bitter ginger were separately dried for absolute ethanol and methanol extractions. The extracts were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity using a DPPH radical scavenging assay (0.005–5000 μg/mL), antimicrobial activity against acne-causing bacteria (0.50–31.68 mg/mL), and in vitro cytotoxicity toward human keratinocytes and fibroblasts (62.5–1000 μg/mL), as well as analyses of bioactive phytochemicals via GC-MS and LC-MS/MS (500 ppm). The ethanol and methanol extracts of bitter ginger and galangal’s rhizomes (BRhE, BRhM, GRhE, and GRhM), stems (BStE, BStM, GRhE, and GRhM), and leaves (BLeE, BLeM, GLeE, and GLeM), respectively, showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The extracts of all parts of bitter ginger and galangal were greatly antioxidative with 0.06–1.42 mg/mL for the IC₅₀ values, while most of the extracts were strongly antimicrobial against C. acnes DMST 14916, particularly BRhM, BRhE, GRhM, and GRhE (MICs: 3.96–7.92 mg/mL). These rhizome extracts had also antimicrobial activities against S. aureus TISTR 746 (MICs: 7.92–31.68 mg/mL) and S. epidermidis TISTR 518 (MICs: 7.92–15.84 mg/mL). The extracts of bitter ginger and galangal rhizomes were not toxic to HaCaT and MRC-5 even at the highest concentrations. Through GC-MS and LC-MS/MS analysis, phytochemicals in bitter ginger rhizome extracts, including zerumbone, tectorigenin, piperic acid, demethoxycurcumin, and cirsimaritin, and galangal rhizome extracts, including sweroside and neobavaisoflavone, were expected to provide the antioxidant and anti-microbial activities. Therefore, the results suggest that the bitter ginger and galangal extracts could be natural anti-acne compounds with potential for pharmaceutic, cosmetic, and aesthetic applications.