Tamanu oil and skin active properties: from traditional to modern cosmetic uses

Abstract

Calophyllum inophyllum L. (Calophyllaceae), locally called “tamanu” in French Polynesia, is an evergreen pantropical tree growing mostly along the seashores. Its barks, leaves, and fruits are still used in traditional medicine. The oil expressed from the nuts has been also traditionally used. Tamanu oil is topically applied on skins as well as mucous membrane lesions. This oil is especially recommended to heal all kinds of skin ailments. Bioassays and different assessments of Tamanu oil revealed numerous biological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, wound healing…), so bringing scientific evidence of beneficial effects of this oil on human skin healing. Such biological properties may explain the use of tamanu oil as an active cosmetic ingredient recorded as “Calophyllum inophyllum seed oil” by the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients). Most of the bioactive properties of tamanu oil are attributed to oil composition including the presence of resinous compounds in tamanu oil beside common fatty acids, which constitutes a unique characteristic of this healing oil. Actually, resinous part of tamanu oil is known to contain bioactive secondary metabolites mostly constituted by neoflavonoids including pyranocoumarin derivatives. Herein, chemical constituents and biological properties of tamanu oil are presented with a focus of its traditional use inspiring modern valuations related to cosmetic field.

Caseinate-Stabilized Emulsions of Black Cumin and Tamanu Oils: Preparation, Characterization and Antibacterial Activity

“…The above summary clearly shows that the incorporation of rarely studied tamanu and black cumin oils in emulsions can be of benefit, as they contain active ingredients with biological and pharmaceutical effects (treatment of asthma, bronchitis, skin diseases; antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory effects; and, gastro-protective properties) [8,9,26,27]. Moreover, the stabilizing of emulsions containing these oils with biocompatible and biodegradable protein CAS can facilitate the delivery of oils to hydrophilic systems while also protecting them against degradation.…”

“…This difference was again wiped off in emulsions that were prepared using US. The fact that TA oil also contains, in addition to neutral lipids and glycolipids, phospholipids (1.6%), small amounts of sterols, and mono-and diacylglycerols, which all have emulsifying properties, can also contribute to easier formation of smaller droplets [9].…”

“…The antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties make this oil an excellent raw material for regenerating and protective formulations. Calophyllic acid and a lactone with antibiotic properties are the two main bioactive substances in the tamanu oil [9]. Calophyllum inophyllum is also known as a rich source of secondary metabolites (coumarins, xanthones, flavonoids, and triterpenes) [10], with some of them having anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties [11,12].…”

Effect of Clonal Variation on Oil Content and Oil Properties of Calophyllum inophyllum L: A Multi Purpose Tree

“…Atabani et al [35] determined the refractive index of C. inophyllum oil as 1.478. Phila Raharivelomanana et al [36] reported the refractive index of C.inophyllum oil was found to be 1 .474. and -4.07 o C respectively, but clonal variation in these properties were insignificant. The flash point is the temperature at which fuel vapor given off momentary flash when an external flame is introduced under specified test conditions.…”

Lipids, a natural raw material at the heart of cosmetics innovation

“…In this dossier, you will find some of the topics covered throughout this congress through the following articles of the speakers: relations between the sensory properties and fat ingredients of lipsticks (de Clermont-Gallerande et al, 2018); augmented bio-based lipids for cosmetics (Duprat-de-Paule et al, 2018); tamanu oil and skin active properties: from traditional to modern cosmetic uses (Raharivelomanana et al, 2018); lipids from seaweeds: selective extraction of potential active compounds (Terme et al, 2018); separation and identification of polar polyphenols in oily formulation using high-performance thin-layer chromatography and mass spectroscopy techniques (Fadel et al, 2018); the concept of sphingolipid rheostat in skin: a driving force for new active ingredients in cosmetic applications (Popa, 2018); oily formulations challenge: how to evaluate their beneficial effects in hydrophilic cell-based models? (Olivier et al, 2018); non invasive in vivo methods to measure lipidic formulae efficacy at the skin surface: advantages and limits (Prestat-Marquis, 2018).…”