34 UPCYCLED INGREDIENTS
for obtaining bioactive compounds from plant materials, each with its own advantages and limitations. Among these, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) stands out as an efficient and sustainable alternative, particularly for upcycled ingredients. This technique utilises a microwave generator to rapidly heat a mixture of water and bioethanol, facilitating the extraction of valuable compounds while minimizing processing time and solvent use. MAE is carried out for 30 minutes using
a 75 kW generator with a frequency range of 0.915 GHz to 2,450 GHz. The extraction takes place in a tank containing a mixture of water and bioethanol. A filtration is made to recover the liquid extract, which is then concentrated by vacuum evaporation (70°C, 100 mbar) to eliminate the ethanol. Finally, a lyophilisation step was carried out to obtain the extracts for the efficacy tests. To quantify the compounds, stock solutions
were prepared by diluting the samples to a 0.5% concentration in a 1:1 mixture of ethanol and ultrapure water. After centrifugation and filtration, the aliquot was fed into an Ultra- Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC). As a result, using MAE has made it possible
to obtain all the extracts while limiting solvent consumption, energy, and waste production. The ratio of raw material to solvent is 1:5, and the solvent consumption is reduced by half compared to conventional extraction. The reduced time spent in extraction also contributes to 40% less energy consumption.3 The energy and water consumption associated with the production of 1 kg of each extract, as well as the detected compounds are shown in Table 2.
Ex vivo efficacy tests The performance evaluation of cosmetic ingredients can be conducted using in vitro or ex vivo methods. In vitro tests, performed on isolated cell cultures, offer a controlled environment to study specific mechanisms but may lack the complexity of tissue interactions found in living organisms.
1.0 ## 0.8 0.6 0.4 ** *** *** *** ***
TABLE 2: ENERGY, WATER CONSUMPTION AND IDENTIFIED COMPOUNDS FOR EACH EXTRACT Water consumption
Energy consumption (kWh / kg product)
Almond shell extract
Liquorice leaves extract
White tea leaves extract
Chestnut bark extract
Grapevine wood extract
2.23 2.45 1.12 11.73 19.10 (kg water/kg product) 2.04 1.77 0.68 6.35 15.21
TABLE 3: SCREENING FOR THE OPTIMAL CONCENTRATION OF EACH EXTRACT USING THE OXIDATION LEVEL OF PROTEINS IN THE EXPLANT
Ingredient
Chestnut Bark Extract
Liquorice Leaves Extract
White Tea Leaves Extract
Almond Shells Extract
Grapevine wood Extract
Concentration
0.10% 0.03% 0.01% 0.10% 0.03% 0.01% 0.10% 0.03% 0.01% 0.10% 0.03% 0.01%
0.08% Ex vivo methods, on the other hand, employ
skin explants preserving the natural architecture and cellular interactions. This approach provides more physiologically relevant insights, bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo models. Consequently, to effectively assess our ingredients, we have ex vivo models, which offer an optimal balance between biological relevance and ethical considerations.
Efficacy (%)
54% 17% 0%
30% 34% 16% 41% 81% 19% 0% 0%
26% 46%
p-Value (vs Stress)
<0.001 0.1
>0.99
<0.001 <0.001 0.14
<0.001 <0.001 0.05
<0.007 <0.008 0.002
<0.008
Step 1: Screening to find the optimal concentration The explants were obtained with informed consent from a 35-year-old female Caucasian donor following post-abdominal surgery. They were cultured at 37°C in a 5% CO2
-humidified
environment. Skin explants were organized in experimental groups (n=3), and the culture medium was renewed every 24 hours. Topical diluted extracts (2 mg/cm2
hours, followed by UV-A irradiation (6 J/cm2 for 40 minutes). A control group received no treatment. Twenty-four hours post-irradiation, the
explants were frozen using OCT embedding in liquid nitrogen for cryosectioning into 5µm thick cuts, stored at -80°C. Oxidatively damaged proteins were labelled with a fluorescent probe targeting carbonyl groups, and DAPI was used for nuclear labelling.
Efficacy % (group X)
=
Biomarker level (Stress) - Biomarker level (group X)
Biomarker level (Stress) - Biomarker level (Control)
* 100 Fluorescent images were captured using
Figure 1: The levels of carbonylation of mitochondrial proteins for each experimental condition are expressed as the ratio of oxidized proteins to total proteins shown as mean (+/- S.D). ***, p<0.001; **, p<0.01; *, p<0.05 – one-way ANOVA and Dunnett’s post-hoc test for multi-comparisons vs Stress group or ##, p<0.01 - Unpaired t test with Welch’s correction for binary comparisons (alpha=0.05)
PERSONAL CARE September 2025
an epi-fluorescent microscope and analysed with ImageJ software. Efficacy values for the experimental groups were calculated relative to the control group (100% efficiency) and stress group (0% efficiency). The results for the different concentrations
www.personalcaremagazine.com ) were applied for 24 Chlorogenic acid Pinocembrin Catechins Castalagin, vescalagin
Resveratrol, Viniferin, Vitisin
Identified compounds
Oxiproteome score Oxydized proteins/Total proteins
Control Stress (UV-A)
0.1% Chestnuts Bark Extract + Stress
0.03% White Tea Leaves Extract + Stress 0.03% Liquorice Leaves Extract + Stress 0.01% Almond Shells Extract + Stress 0.08% Grapevine Wood Extract + Stress
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
