Concerns about the safety of traditional preservatives in personal care products are driving interest toward self-preserving alternatives. This study explores the potential of B. stenostachya leaf extracts, a natural and biodegradable material, for use in cosmetics. B. stenostachya, a fast-growing bamboo species native to Taiwan, is rich in bioactive compounds, including flavonoids with antimicrobial properties. Leaves were obtained from the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Tainan, Taiwan, and extracted using ultrasonic and Soxhlet methods with water, 50% ethanol, and 95% ethanol. The highest yield was achieved with 50% ethanol at 100 °C. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line, with no toxicity observed at dilutions between 1/3200 and 1/400, indicating the extract’s safety for cosmetic use. Antimicrobial activity was tested in accordance with ISO 11930:2019 standards. The extract effectively inhibited Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus pathogens, meeting preservative efficacy Standards A and B for long-term microbial control. Bamboo is a sustainable resource with lower environmental impacts, and its products show promising biodegradability and reduced environmental footprints. This research indicates that the B. stenostachya leaf extract offers a sustainable alternative to chemical preservatives, promoting both environmental sustainability and public health, with the potential for expanded use in natural personal care formulations.

Stephania tetrandra S. MOORE, a medicinal plant, is recognized for tetrandrine production, which is extensively accepted for its therapeutic benefits. However, the slow growth of S. tetrandra limits tetrandrine’s availability, which can be addressed by in vitro hairy root cultivation using Rhizobium rhizogenes and optimization of medium components. The present study attempted the three-step optimization of three components of woody plant medium (ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate, and sucrose), including two-level factorial design, path of steepest ascent (PSA), and central composite design (CCD) to obtain high hairy root biomass and tetrandrine production. The CCD-based optimization for enhanced hairy root biomass resulted in a hairy root biomass of 9.75 g dw/L at optimal concentrations of ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃), calcium nitrate (Ca(NO₃)₂), and sucrose of 631.96 mg/L, 651 mg/L, and 41.35 g/L, respectively. The optimal concentration of 550.31 mg/L, 862.88 mg/L, and 25.89 g/L for NH₄NO₃, Ca(NO₃)₂, and sucrose, respectively, obtained after CCD analysis for enhanced tetrandrine production led to the maximum tetrandrine of 70.48 mg/L. Medium optimization resulted in a 1.47-fold increase in hairy root biomass and a 1.37-fold increase in tetrandrine production under individually optimized conditions. The present study findings confirmed the important role of process optimization for enhanced product yield.

Skin cancer, particularly melanoma, remains a major public health concern due to its high mortality rate. Current treatment options, including chemotherapy with dacarbazine and doxorubicin, have shown limited efficacy, achieving only a 20% objective response rate over six months, along with severe side effects such as cardiotoxicity. Given these limitations, there is a growing interest in herbal medicine as a source of novel anticancer compounds. Bambusa stenostachya, a bamboo species native to Taiwan, was investigated for its potential anti-melanoma properties using network pharmacology and molecular docking. LC-MS analysis identified seven bioactive compounds, including quinic acid and isovitexin, which satisfied Lipinski’s drug-likeness criteria. Among the seven bioactive compounds identified, five belong to the flavonoid family, while two are classified as phenolic compounds that modulate signaling pathways related to cancer and exhibit antioxidant activity, respectively. Through pathway enrichment analysis, four key melanoma-associated genes (PIM1, MEK1, CDK2, and PDK1) were identified as potential therapeutic targets. Ensemble docking results demonstrated that naringin-7-rhamnoglucoside exhibited the highest binding affinity (−6.30 kcal/mol) with phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1, surpassing the affinities of standard chemotherapeutic agents. Additionally, the average docking scores for naringin-7-rhamnoglucoside and the remaining three proteins were as follows: PIM1 (−5.92), MEK1 (−6.07), and CDK2 (−5.26). These findings suggest that the bioactive compounds in B. stenostachya may play a crucial role in inhibiting melanoma progression by modulating metabolic and signaling pathways. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are necessary to validate these computational findings and explore the potential of B. stenostachya as a complementary therapeutic agent for melanoma.