Formulation of the Polysaccharide FucoPol into Novel Emulsified Creams with Improved Physicochemical Properties

Abstract

Driven by the customers’ growing awareness of environmental issues, the production of topical formulations based on sustainable ingredients is receiving widespread attention from researchers and the industry. Although numerous sustainable ingredients (natural, organic, or green chemistry-derived compounds) have been investigated, there is a lack of comparative studies between conventional ingredients and sustainable alternatives. In this study, olive oil (30 wt.%) and α-tocopherol (2.5 wt.%) containing oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions stabilized with the bacterial fucose-rich polysaccharide FucoPol were formulated envisaging their validation as cosmetic creams. After formula composition design by Response Surface Methodology (RSM), the optimized FucoPol-based emulsion was prepared with 1.5 wt.% FucoPol, 1.5 wt.% cetyl alcohol, and 3.0 wt.% glycerin. The resulting emulsions had an apparent viscosity of 8.72 Pa.s (measured at a shear rate 2.3 s−1) and droplet size and zeta potential values of 6.12 µm and −97.9 mV, respectively, which are within the values reported for cosmetic emulsified formulations. The optimized formulation displayed the desired criterium of a thin emulsion system, possessing the physicochemical properties and the stability comparable to those of commercially available products used in cosmeceutical applications.

Development of Emulsions Containing L-Ascorbic Acid and α-Tocopherol Based on the Polysaccharide FucoPol: Stability Evaluation and Rheological and Texture Assessment

“…Both formulations presented high E24 values (98-99% for Prunus amygdalus dulcis oil emulsions and 89-96% for Olea europaea fruit oil emulsions), for all tested L-ascorbic acid concentrations (Table 2). These values are identical to those reported for FucoPol-based emulsion (98%) with the same contents in Olea europaea fruit oil (30%) and α-tocopherol (2.5%) (formulation C) [24]. based emulsion (98%) with the same contents in Olea europaea fruit oil (30%) and α-tocopherol (2.5%) (formulation C) [24].…”

“…It was also demonstrated that FucoPol, as well as FucoPol-based emulsified creams, promoted migration of HFFF2 and HaCaT cells [20,21]. FucoPol's capacity as an emulsifier [22][23][24] was also reported. Baptista et al [22] showed FucoPol's high performance as an emulsifier for olive oil/α-tocopherol emulsions, with its presence improving the physicochemical and structural characteristics of the emulsions.…”

“…Two formulations, C1 and C2, with different L-ascorbic acid concentrations (8.0 and 15 wt.%, respectively) were prepared according to Table 1 (adapted from [24]). The oil phase (32.5 g) and the aqueous phase (67.5 g) were heated at 75 • C. The emulsification was performed by slowly adding the oil phase to the aqueous phase and mixing at a shear rate of about 11,000 rpm (IKA T25 easy clean digital ULTRA TURRAX, Staufen, Germany), for 3 min, followed by manual continuous agitation until room temperature was attained [30].…”

Microfluidics: a concise review of the history, principles, design, applications, and future outlook

“…Droplet-based microfluidics presents a versatile platform for a broad range of applications such as cosmetic cream and lotion formulation, 166 molecular detection, supra magnetic nanoparticle synthesis, diagnostic tests and assays, and targeted drug delivery with biodegradable nanoparticles, among others. 167 A remarkable stride in the field of autonomous devices that feature self-propulsion has been achieved with the recent development of a micro surfboard propelled by droplets, inspired by the water strider.…”

Efficacy of Apremilast Gels in Mouse Model of Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis Skin Inflammation

“…It offers several advantages, including high viscosity, excellent compatibility, good stability, and excellent tissue compatibility [21][22][23]. Numerous functional polysaccharides are available, capable of serving as film formers, gelling agents, thickeners, conditioners, and emulsifiers, such as hyaluronic acid, which is applied as a moisturizing and bioactive ingredient [24,25].…”