A Cosmeceutical Topical Water-in-Oil Nanoemulsion of Natural Bioactives: Design of Experiment, in vitro Characterization, and in vivo Skin Performance Against UVB Irradiation-Induced Skin Damages

Compound collagen peptide powder improves skin photoaging by reducing oxidative stress and activating TGF-β1/Smad pathway

Fish collagen peptide (FCP) has been extensively investigated as a natural product that can combat photoaging; however, its efficacy is limited by its singular composition. Compound collagen peptide powder (CCPP) is a novel functional food formulation that exhibits photoprotective properties and comprises FCP and a blend of natural botanical ingredients. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of CCPP and its molecular mechanism. CCPP had a low molecular weight, facilitating its efficient absorption, and was abundant in amino acids, total polyphenols, and total flavonoids. The results of in vivo studies demonstrated that CCPP exhibited significant efficacy in reducing skin wrinkles, enhancing the contents of water and oil in the skin, and ameliorating histopathological alterations in mice. The results of in vitro studies demonstrated that CCPP effectively mitigated photoaging in human skin fibroblasts by attenuating oxidative stress and promoting extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis. Moreover, we clearly demonstrated that the TGF β1/Smad pathway was involved in the promotion of ECM synthesis and cell proliferation by CCPP in human skin fibroblasts. These findings suggest that, compared with single collagen, CCPP has a more comprehensive range of antiphotoaging properties.

Protective potential of frankincense essential oil and its loaded solid lipid nanoparticles against UVB-induced photodamage in rats via MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways; A promising anti-aging therapy

Frankincense oil has gained increased popularity in skin care, yet its anti-aging effect remains unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the anti-photoaging effect of frankincense (Boswellia papyrifera (Del.) Hochst., Family Burseraceae) essential oil in an in vivo model. The oil was initially extracted by two methods: hydro-distillation (HD) and microwave-assisted hydro-distillation (MAHD). GC/MS analysis revealed the dominance of n-octyl acetate, along with other marker compounds of B. papyrifera including octanol and diterpene components (verticilla 4(20) 7, 11-triene and incensole acetate). Thereafter, preliminary investigation of the anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activities of the extracted oils revealed the superior anti-aging effect of HD-extracted oil (FO), comparable to epigallocatechin gallate. FO was subsequently formulated into solid lipid nanoparticles (FO-SLNs) via high shear homogenization to improve its solubility and skin penetration characteristics prior to in vivo testing. The optimimal formulation prepared with 0.5% FO, and 4% Tween® 80, demonstrated nanosized spherical particles with high entrapment efficiency percentage and sustained release for 8 hours. The anti-photoaging effect of FO and FO-SLNs was then evaluated in UVB-irradiated hairless rats, compared to Vitamin A palmitate as a positive standard. FO and FO-SLNs restored the antioxidant capacity (SOD and CAT) and prohibited inflammatory markers (IL6, NFκB p65) in UVB-irradiated rats via downregulation of MAPK (pERK, pJNK, and pp38) and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, alongside upregulating TGF-β expression. Subsequently, our treatments induced Procollagen I synthesis and downregulation of MMPs (MMP1, MMP9), where FO-SLNs exhibited superior anti-photoaging effect, compared to FO and Vitamin A, highlighting the use of SLNs as a promising nanocarrier for FO. In particular, FO-SLNs revealed normal epidermal and dermal histological structures, protected against UVβ-induced epidermal thickness and dermal collagen degradation. Our results indicated the potential use of FO-SLNs as a promising topical anti-aging therapy.

Lipid Nanoparticles: An Effective Tool to Improve the Bioavailability of Nutraceuticals

Nano-range bioactive colloidal carrier systems are envisaged to overcome the challenges associated with treatments of numerous diseases. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), one of the extensively investigated drug delivery systems, not only improve pharmacokinetic parameters, transportation, and chemical stability of encapsulated compounds but also provide efficient targeting and reduce the risk of toxicity. Over the last decades, nature-derived polyphenols, vitamins, antioxidants, dietary supplements, and herbs have received more attention due to their remarkable biological and pharmacological health and medical benefits. However, their poor aqueous solubility, compromised stability, insufficient absorption, and accelerated elimination impede research in the nutraceutical sector. Owing to the possibilities offered by various LNPs, their ability to accommodate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules and the availability of various preparation methods suitable for sensitive molecules, loading natural fragile molecules into LNPs offers a promising solution. The primary objective of this work is to explore the synergy between nature and nanotechnology, encompassing a wide range of research aimed at encapsulating natural therapeutic molecules within LNPs.

Immunomodulatory Nanosystems: Advanced Delivery Tools for Treating Chronic Wounds

The increasingly aging society led to a rise in the prevalence of chronic wounds (CWs), posing a significant burden to public health on a global scale. One of the key features of CWs is the presence of a maladjusted immune microenvironment characterized by persistent and excessive (hyper)inflammation. A variety of immunomodulatory therapies have been proposed to address this condition. Yet, to date, current delivery systems for immunomodulatory therapy remain inadequate and lack efficiency. This highlights the need for new therapeutic delivery systems, such as nanosystems, to manage the pathological inflammatory imbalance and, ultimately, improve the treatment outcomes of CWs. While a plethora of immunomodulatory nanosystems modifying the immune microenvironment of CWs have shown promising therapeutic effects, the literature on the intersection of immunomodulatory nanosystems and CWs remains relatively scarce. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the pathogenesis and characteristics of the immune microenvironment in CWs, discuss important advancements in our understanding of CW healing, and delineate the versatility and applicability of immunomodulatory nanosystems-based therapies in the therapeutic management of CWs. In addition, we herein also shed light on the main challenges and future perspectives in this rapidly evolving research field.

Formulation and Biomedical Activity of Oil-in-Water Nanoemulsion Combining Tinospora smilacina Water Extract and Calophyllum inophyllum Seeds Oil

Introduction

Tinospora smilacina is a native plant used in traditional medicine by First Nations peoples in Australia to treat inflammation. In our previous study, an optimised Calophyllum inophyllum seed oil (CSO) nanoemulsion (NE) showed improved biomedical activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant activity, cell viability and in vitro wound healing efficacy compared to CSO.

Methods

In this study, a stable NE formulation combining T. smilacina water extract (TSWE) and CSO in a nanoemulsion (CTNE) was prepared to integrate the bioactive compounds in both native plants and improve wound healing efficacy. D-optimal mixture design was used to optimise the physicochemical characteristics of the CTNE, including droplet size and polydispersity index (PDI). Cell viability and in vitro wound healing studies were done in the presence of CTNE, TSWE and CSO against a clone of baby hamster kidney fibroblasts (BHK-21 cell clone BSR-T7/5).

Results

The optimised CTNE had a 24 ± 5 nm particle size and 0.21± 0.02 PDI value and was stable after four weeks each at 4 °C and room temperature. According to the results, incorporating TSWE into CTNE improved its antioxidant activity, cell viability, and ability to promote wound healing. The study also revealed that TSWE has >6% higher antioxidant activity than CSO. While CTNE did not significantly impact mammalian cell viability, it exhibited wound-healing properties in the BSR cell line during in vitro testing. These findings suggest that adding TSWE may enhance CTNE's potential as a wound-healing treatment.

Conclusion

This is the first study demonstrating NE formulation in which two different plant extracts were used in the aqueous and oil phases with improved biomedical activities.

Standardization and quantitative analysis of Araucaria Heterophylla extract via an UPLC-MS/MS method and its formulation as an antibacterial phytonanoemulsion gel

Skin infections are among the bacterial infections that present significant therapeutic challenges due to antibiotic resistance. Recently, herbal products clutched a significant attention as safe replacements for other medications but their low aqueous solubility and poor bioavailability are considered major challenges which could be circumvented via formulation. As a species of genera Araucaria, Araucaria Heterophylla possesses pharmacological activities such as antioxidant and antibacterial actions, and this study aimed to standardize the extract of the plant against 4ʹʹʹmethoxyamentoflavone (as a main component of the extract) through a validated UPLC-MS/MS method and evaluate its antibacterial activity, which was followed by loading the standardized extract into a nanoemulsion to form a phytonanoemulsion (PNE), where the design analysis and optimization were performed through a simplex lattice design. The optimized PNE (PNE 3) was then loaded into HPMC/Pluronic F-127 gel (in ratio 1:4) to sustain the release of the active constituent. The heightened penetrability of PNE 3 gel was visualized via confocal laser scanning microscopy, and its prolonged effect was proved thru an in vivo study conducted on male Wistar rats. A histopathological study revealed the safety of the formulation when applied topically. Thus, PNE gel could be a potentially broad-spectrum antibacterial drug delivery system.

Optimisation of Calophyllum inophyllum seed oil nanoemulsion as a potential wound healing agent

Background

Efficient delivery systems of Calophyllum inophyllum seed oil (CSO) in the form of nanoemulsion were optimised to enhance its stability and ensure its therapeutic efficiency as a potential agent for various biomedical applications.

Method

Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to determine the effects of independent variables (oil, surfactant, water percentage and homogenisation time) on physicochemical characteristics, including droplet size, polydispersity index and turbidity.

Results

The optimised CSO nanoemulsion (CSONE) has a 46.68 nm particle size, 0.15 Polydispersity index value and 1.16 turbidity. After 4 weeks of storage at 5 ± 1 °C and 25 ± 1 °C, the CSONE was physically stable. The optimised CSO nanoemulsion showed enhancement in cell viability and wound healing in baby hamster kidney a clone BHK-21 (BSR) cells as compared to the CSO. The wound healing property of CSONE was higher than CSO.

Conclusion

Thus, our in vitro wound healing results demonstrated that CSO in the nanoemulsion form can promote wound healing by enhancing the proliferation and migration of epidermal cells.

Graphical Abstract

The coarse emulsion of Calophyllum inophyllum seed oil nano emulsion was prepared using high shear homogeniser techniques. The optimised CSONE with the droplet size of 46.68 nm was prepared from a mixture of CSO, Tween 80, and high pure water (HPW), then used for the biological investigation. The in vitro cell monolayer scratch assay revealed that CSONE in the lowest concentration of CSO resulted in 100% wound closure after 48 hrs. The optimised CSO nanoemulsion was found to be a promising and effective approach in the treatment of wounds by boosting the proliferation and migration of epidermal cells.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-022-03751-6.