Microalgae as a Sustainable, Natural-Oriented and Vegan Dermocosmetic Bioactive Ingredient: The Case of Neochloris oleoabundans

Abstract

“Vegan” and “sustainable” characteristics are strong claim trends behind the development of innovative skincare, fragrances, and makeup products. This created a need in the market for compliant ingredients. To date, there have been no records evidencing the use of the microalgae Neochloris oleoabundans (NA) in dermocosmetics. Therefore, we studied the applicability of such a natural compound in this context. NA was cultivated, and the scavenging activity (SA) of the NA extracts was evaluated. The highest SA was from the aqueous extract (54.8% ± 2.1%), being higher than that of the positive control. Two hydrogels were prepared with 1.0% ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer: (1) control gel; and (2) gel with a 1.0% NA aqueous extract. In vivo experiments were performed in healthy male and female volunteers with skin phototypes of II–IV. The stratum corneum (SC) hydration and the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were measured in the forearm of participants to determine their biocompatibility. This parameter was determined by skin bioengineering measurements, confirming that SC hydration and TEWL were not affected by the samples. The laser Doppler measurements results showed a delayed erythema onset in the sites, where the NA hydrogel was applied. The results confirmed the biocompatibility and the anti-inflammatory activity of an innovative ingredient derived from microalgae suitable for a natural and vegan lifestyle.

Xylityl Sesquicaprylate Efficacy as an Antiseptic Ingredient for Oral Care Products (Mouthwash): An In Vitro Screening Investigation against Eight Microorganisms

“…Accordingly, aiming also to elevate the compliance rate of consumers and patients to the regular use of mouthwashes as effective oral care products, there is a real demand in the cosmetic industry to develop safe and effective antiseptics, preferentially from natural and/or renewable resources that will reinforce a robust trend claim for innovative products [5].…”

Prospecting In Vitro Antioxidant and Photoprotective Properties of Rosmarinic Acid in a Sunscreen System Developed by QbD Containing Octyl p-Methoxycinnamate and Bemotrizinol

“…DPPH • presents a purple color in solution and, in the presence of an antioxidant, it is reduced to diphenylpicrylhydrazine, which manifests a yellowish color. This organoleptic alteration is detectable by spectrophotometric analysis [14,15]. Aliquots of the photoprotective samples were solubilized in methanol and, after treatment with DPPH • , centrifuged for sedimentation of solid matters that could interfere with the spectrophotometric analysis.…”

Characterization of Neochloris oleoabundans under Different Cultivation Modes and First Results on Bioactivity of Its Extracts against HCoV-229E Virus

“…Focusing on the health sector, microalgae are a source of various bioactive compounds, like pigments, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, phenolics, polysaccharides, or proteins, which have been studied for their antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer and other pharmacological activities [ 12 , 17 , 18 ]. As concerns microalgae with antiviral properties, promising results come from the cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis (also referred to Arthrospira platensis ) and Nostoc ellipsosporum , and from the Chlorophyta Dunaliella primolecta or Chlorella vulgaris and C. pyrenoidosa [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]; little of the literature information is available on other microalgae [ 19 , 23 , 24 ].…”

“…As an example, according to Scopus ® , around 200 documents with “microalgae” and “antiviral” as keywords were published from 1985 up to 2022; narrowing the search to “Spirulina” or “ Nostoc ” or “ Chlorella ” or “ Dunaliella ” and “antiviral” documents were, respectively, 126, 55, 48 and 19; papers referring to other microalgae were usually below 10 (searched genera: Scenedesmus , Chlamydomonas , Neochloris , Tetraselmis , Amphora ). However, very recently, the green microalga Neochloris oleoabundans , mainly studied for its capability to accumulate lipids for the bio-energetic sector [ 10 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], has been proposed for some applications in the health sector [ 12 , 17 , 28 ]. In detail, [ 12 ] recently characterized the polysaccharidic profile and production of the alga, and interesting immunomodulatory properties have been highlighted for the first time; [ 28 ] evaluated the antiproliferative activity of bioactive carotenoids from N. oleoabundans against human colon cancer cells; and [ 17 ] proposed aqueous extracts of the alga as a natural-oriented and vegan bioactive ingredient for dermocosmetic purposes thanks to antioxidant properties.…”

“…However, very recently, the green microalga Neochloris oleoabundans , mainly studied for its capability to accumulate lipids for the bio-energetic sector [ 10 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], has been proposed for some applications in the health sector [ 12 , 17 , 28 ]. In detail, [ 12 ] recently characterized the polysaccharidic profile and production of the alga, and interesting immunomodulatory properties have been highlighted for the first time; [ 28 ] evaluated the antiproliferative activity of bioactive carotenoids from N. oleoabundans against human colon cancer cells; and [ 17 ] proposed aqueous extracts of the alga as a natural-oriented and vegan bioactive ingredient for dermocosmetic purposes thanks to antioxidant properties. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that N. oleoabundans can grow mixotrophically and, for the over-production of bioactive compounds, like lipids/fatty acids [ 10 ] or EPS [ 12 ], the addition of glucose to the culture medium represents an excellent strategy.…”