Moringa oleifera seed oil has been recognized for its benefits in relation to the skin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of moringa seed oil, to formulate a moringa seed oil cream, and to determine the efficacy of moringa seed oil cream in vivo. The chemical components of moringa seed oil were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. The antioxidant activity of the oil was determined by a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging assay. An oil-in-water cream containing moringa seed oil was developed and characterized for antioxidant activity. The moringa seed oil cream was further subjected to the accelerated stability test of heating–cooling cycles for six cycles and stored isothermally at 4, 30, and 45 °C for 28 days. The efficacy of moringa seed oil cream was investigated in 32 participants by measuring their skin hydration, erythema, melanin values, and visco-elasticity. The results showed that moringa seed oil contained α-tocopherol, plant sterols, and fatty acids. The oil had antioxidant activity with a 50% of initial concentration (IC50) value of 121.9 mg/mL. The stability study indicated that the pH, viscosity, and rheological behavior of the cream containing moringa seed oil were not significantly changed after storage at 4, 30, and 45 °C for 28 days and six heating–cooling cycles. The moringa seed oil cream exhibited in vitro antioxidant activity and increased the in vivo skin hydration level compared with the cream base. There was no report of skin irritation from moringa seed oil cream application, suggesting that the moringa seed oil cream developed in this study was appropriate for pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses. A M. oleifera seed oil cream was successfully developed. The moringa seed oil cream possessed antioxidant activity, enhanced the skin hydration level, and reduced skin erythema, but did not affect the melanin content and skin visco-elasticity. The moringa seed oil cream did not induce skin irritation and, thus, was safe to use.

Borassus flabellifer L. is a plant in Arecaceae family, widely distributed and cultivated in tropical Asian countries. The purpose of this study was to identify the bioactive compounds of B.flabellifer L. male flower ethanolic extract and investigate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities against Cutibacterium acnes. Total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids in B.flabellifer L. male flower ethanolic extract were determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method and aluminum chloride colorimetric assay, respectively. Active substances in the extract and their quantities were analyzed by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The antioxidant evaluation was carried out using DPPH, ABTS free radical scavenging assays, and FRAP assay. C. acnes inhibitory activity was performed by the broth microdilution method. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined by the protein denaturation assay. In addition, gel containing different amounts of B.flabellifer L. male flower extract was formulated. The physical stability of the gel was observed by measuring viscosity and pH after six heating and cooling cycles, as well as 1-month storage at 4, 30, and 45 °C. The total phenolic content in the extract was 268.30 ± 12.84 mg gallic acid equivalent/g crude dry extract. The total flavonoid contents in the extract were 1886.38 ± 55.86 mg quercetin equivalent/g extract and 2884.88 ± 128.98 mg EGCG equivalent/g extract, respectively. The LC–MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of gallic acid, coumarin, and quercetin and the concentrations of quercetin, coumarin, and gallic acid in B. flabellifer male flower ethanolic extract were 0.912, 0.021, and 1.610 µg/mL, respectively. DPPH and ABTS antioxidant assays indicated that the B.flabellifer L. male flower extract had IC50 values of 31.54 ± 0.43 and 164.5 ± 14.3 µg/mL, respectively. FRAP assay revealed that the B.flabellifer male flower extract had high ferric ion reducing power. The extract was able to inhibit C.acnes bacteria with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 250 mg/mL. At 250 and 500 µg/mL, the extract demonstrated the highest anti-inflammatory activity. The gel containing 31.25% w/w and 62.5% w/w showed good physical stability after six heating and cooling cycles, as well as 1-month storage.

The aim of this study was to investigate the synergistic antioxidant activity of microemulsion containing mixed Moringa oleifera seed oil and Perilla frutescens seed oils, compared with microemulsion of single oils. The novel microemulsions for the moringa, perilla, and mixed seed oils were formulated by mixing appropriate amount of surfactant, water, and oil phase. The formulation containing the maximum amount of oil which appeared transparent was further evaluated for particle size, size distribution, surface charge, pH, and rheological behavior. The in vitro antioxidant properties of microemulsions were investigated in comparison with essential oils. Cream containing microemulsion was prepared and its physical stability was investigated by heating-cooling cycles. The results showed that the maximum content of oil incorporated in microemulsion system was 12.5%. The mean droplet sizes of moringa, perilla, and mixed oil microemulsion were 159.33±0.77, 183.86±1.42, and 263.43± 9.40 nm, respectively. All formulations exhibited pseudoplastic flow behavior. The mixture of moringa and perila seed oils in microemulsion possessed the highest significant antioxidant effect against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl compared with single oil microemulsion. The cream containing microemulsion exhibited good physical stability. Thus, the current research reveals the benefits of microemulsion containing mixed moringa and perilla seed oils based cream compared with single essential oils.

P. frutescens seed oil and M. oleifera seed oil consist of fatty acids and sterols that are beneficial for skin. Mixing of these oils at 1:1 ratio has shown to increase antioxidant activity of oils. This study aims to formulate emulgels containing microemulsions of P. frutescens seed oil, M. oleifera seed oil, and mixed P. frutescens and M. oleifera seed oils. The chemical constituents of P. frutescens seed oil, M. oleifera seed oil, and mixed seed oil are analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The microemulsions are formulated by a phase titration method and characterized for the droplet size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential value using a dynamic light scattering technique. The physical and chemical stability of the microemulsions are investigated using a rheometer and UV-Visible spectrophotometer, respectively. The safety of microemulsion is evaluated on PBMC and human subjects. Emulgels containing three different types of microemulsion are formulated. The results show that P. frutescens seed oil is mainly composed of alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and oleic acid, whereas M. oleifera seed oil contains a high proportion of oleic acid. Mixed seed oil contains a comparable amount of alpha-linolenic acid and oleic acid. All types of oils are composed of β-sitosterol as the major plant sterol. Microemulsions of all types of oils are successfully prepared by using Tween 80 as a surfactant due to the largest transparent region of pseudoternary phase diagram. The size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential values of all types of microemulsion are in the acceptable range upon storage at 30 °C for 1 month. Microemulsions exhibit pseudoplastic flow behavior. The percent of remaining oils in all types of microemulsion is more than 90% after storage at 30 °C for 1 month. Emulgels containing three types of microemulsions exhibit good characteristics and no change in viscosity after storage at 4, 30, and 45 °C for 1 month. The safety results reveal that three types of microemulsion do not induce cytotoxicity to PBMC nor induce skin irritation and allergic reactions. Emulgels containing microemulsions developed in this study can be used to safely deliver P. frutescens seed oil, M. oleifera seed oil, and mixed seed oil to human skin.