The promise of marine molecules as cosmetic active ingredients

Abstract

The marine environment represents an underexploited resource for the discovery of novel products, despite its high level of biological and chemical diversity. With increasing awareness of the harmful effects of chronic ultraviolet exposure, and a universal desire to improve cosmetic appearance, the market for new cosmetic ingredients is growing, and current trends have generated a greater demand for products sourced from the environment. A growing number of novel molecules from marine flora and fauna exhibit potent and effective dermatological activities. Secondary metabolites isolated from macroalgae, including carotenoids and polyphenols, have demonstrated antioxidant, anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory activities. In addition, marine extremophilic bacteria have recently been shown to produce bioactive exopolymeric molecules, some of which have been commercialized. Available data on their activities show significant antioxidant, moisturizing and anti-ageing activities, but a more focussed investigation into their mechanisms and applications is required. This review surveys the reported biological activities of an emerging and growing portfolio of marine molecules that show promise in the treatment of cosmetic skin problems including ultraviolet damage, ageing and cutaneous dryness.R esum e L'environnement marin repr esente une ressource sous-exploit ee pour la d ecouverte de nouveaux produits, malgr e son niveau elev e de diversit e biologique et chimique. Avec la prise de conscience croissante des effets n efastes de l'exposition chronique aux ultraviolets et un d esir universel d'am eliorer l'apparence, le march e des nouveaux ingr edients cosm etiques est en croissance et les tendances actuelles ont g en er e une plus grande demande pour les produits issus de l'environnement. Un nombre croissant de nouvelles mol ecules issues de la flore et de la faune marines pr esentent des activit es dermatologiques efficaces et performantes. Les m etabolites secondaires isol es des macroalgues, y compris les carot eno€ ıdes et les polyph enols, ont d emontr e des activit es antioxydantes, antivieillissement et anti-inflammatoires. De plus, il a et e d emontr e r ecemment que les bact eries extrêmophiles marines produisent des mol ecules exopolym eriques bioactives, dont certaines ont et e commercialis ees. Les donn ees disponibles sur leurs activit es montrent des activit es antioxydantes, hydratantes et anti-ages significatives, mais une investigation plus cibl ee de leurs m ecanismes et applications est requise. Cette revue etudie les activit es biologiques rapport ees d'une gamme emergente et croissante de mol ecules marines prometteuses, dans le traitement des probl emes de peau cosm etiques, y compris les dommages caus es par les ultraviolets, le vieillissement et la s echeresse cutan ee.

Fucoxanthin-Containing Cream Prevents Epidermal Hyperplasia and UVB-Induced Skin Erythema in Mice

“…Currently, marine resources are recognized for their variety of biologically active substances [ 5 ], which are becoming important ingredients in skin care products due to their potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions as well as the safety and low risk in their administration [ 6 ]. In this sense, carotenoids have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or anti-carcinogenic properties in different skin inflammatory models [ 7 ].…”

Potential Use of Seaweed Bioactive Compounds in Skincare—A Review

“…Wide applications of seaweeds are based on the valuable bioactive compounds and potent bioactivity. In addition, the compounds derived from marine algae have been given considerable importance in developing a cosmeceutical product [41]. Seaweed compounds-including phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, pigments, PUFA, sterols, proteins, peptides, and mycosporine-like amino acid (MAA)-exhibited a wide range of bioactivity that can be used as active ingredients in cosmetic products (Figure 3) [7,42].…”

Fucoidans: Downstream Processes and Recent Applications

“…Production of high-quality purified fucoidans is urgently required to clarify the relationships between chemical structure and the various bioactivities attributed to fucoidans, eliminating any interference from contaminants. However, it was observed in some cases that crude extracts and presence of co-extracted contaminants, especially polyphenolic phlorotannins, have advantageous cosmeceutical effects due to their powerful anti-oxidant activity [203,204].…”