In the present study, rice bran, one of the most abundant agricultural by-products in Malaysia, was fermented with single and mixed cultures of Aspergillus oryzae and Rhizopus oryzae. The fermented rice bran extracts were tested for their functional properties and compared to the non-fermented counterparts. Antioxidant activities as well as phenolics and organic acid contents were evaluated. Skincare-related functionalities were also tested by evaluating tyrosinase and elastase inhibition activities. Tyrosinase inhibition activity, measured to determine the anti-pigmentation effect of extracts, was found to be the highest in the extract of rice bran fermented with A. oryzae (56.18%) compared to other extracts. In determining the anti-aging effect of fermented rice bran extracts, the same extract showed the highest elastase inhibition activity with a value of 60.52%. Antioxidant activities were found to be highest in the mix-cultured rice bran extract. The results of phenolic and organic acid content were varied; the major phenolic acid detected was ferulic acid with a value of 43.19μg/ml in the mix-cultured rice bran extract. On the other hand, citric acid was the major organic acid detected, with the highest content found in the same extract (214.6mg/g). The results of this study suggest that the fermented rice bran extracts may have the potential to be further exploited as ingredients in cosmetics as well as in antioxidant-rich products

Cosmeceutical formulations containing naturally derived active ingredients are currently preferred by consumers worldwide. Mushrooms are one of the potential sources for cosmeceutical ingredients but relevant research is still lacking. In this study, hot- and cold-water extractions were performed on four locally-cultivated mushrooms—Pleurotus ostreatus, Ganoderma lucidum, Auricularia polytricha and Schizophyllum commune—with the aim to assess the cosmeceutical potential of these mushroom fruitbody extracts. Total phenolics, polysaccharide and glucan content were determined. Antioxidant property of the mushroom extracts was assessed by determining the DPPH radical scavenging, ferric-reducing (FRAP) and superoxide anion (SOA) scavenging activity. Anti-hyaluronidase activity was used as an indicator for the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory property, while anti-tyrosinase activity was evaluated to assess the anti-pigmentation or whitening property of these extracts. Our results showed that total polysaccharide content of P. ostreatus extracts was the highest (235.8–253.6 mg GE/g extract), while extracts from G. lucidum contained the lowest glucan (10.12–10.67%). Cold-water extract from S. commune exhibited substantial tyrosinase inhibition activity (98.15%) and SOA scavenging activity (94.82%). The greatest hyaluronidase activity was exhibited by G. lucidum hot-water extract, with the value of 72.78%. The findings from the correlation analyses suggest that the cosmeceutical properties of these mushrooms can be attributed mainly to the combination of different types of compound such as polysaccharides and phenolics. Overall, cold-water extract of S. commune and hot-water extract of G. lucidum showed the best results and may be further investigated.

In this study, UVA- and UVB-irradiated human fibroblasts were used to investigate the anti-photoaging efficacy of two aqueous extracts from Aspergillus oryzae-fermented broken rice (FBR) and brewers' rice (FBrR). As UVA and UVB can damage the dermal and epidermal layers, respectively, two UV radiation approaches were utilised: i) direct UVA irradiation on fibroblasts, and ii) UVB-irradiated keratinocytes indirectly co-cultured with fibroblasts to observe their epithelial-mesenchymal interaction during UVB-induced photoaging. The anti-photoaging properties were tested utilising biochemical tests and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The treatment of UV-irradiated human fibroblasts with FBR and FBrR dramatically downregulates MMP-1 and SFE gene expression. Nonetheless, MMP-1 secretion was inhibited by FBR and FBrR, with more substantial decreases in UVB-treated co-cultures, ranging from 0.76- to 1.89-fold relative to the untreated control. In UVA-treated fibroblasts, however, the elastase-inhibiting activity of FBR and FBrR is up to 1.63-fold and 2.13-fold more potent, respectively. In addition, post-UV irradiation treatment with FBR and FBrR was able to repair and enhance collagen formation in UVA-irradiated fibroblasts. Both FBR and FBrR were able to upregulate elastin gene expression in fibroblasts under both culture conditions, especially at 50 µg/mL. The pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-, IL-1ß, and IL-6 were likewise lowered by FBR and FBrR, which may have contributed to the anti-photoaging effect of the UVB-treated co-culture. These results reveal that FBR and FBrR inhibit photoaging in human fibroblasts under both UV induction conditions. In conclusion, FBR and FBrR may be attractive bio-ingredients for usage in the cosmetic sector as cosmeceuticals.