Antioxidant Activity of Cosmetic Formulations Based on Novel Extracts from Seeds of Brazilian Araucaria angustifolia (Bertoll) Kuntze

The process of oxidation, due to free radicals, is the cause of major concern for human health. In particular damages related to the skin have great relevance; therefore, many antioxidants based products are developed and marketed with the intention to counteract the action of free radicals. The seed of Araucaria angustifolia is a rich source of antioxidants due to the presence of bioflavonoids to counteract free radicals damages. In this study, two extracts, one from the seed external teguments (shell) and the other from the inner seed pulp (endosperm and embryo) were obtained in order to evaluate possible applications to the dermo-cosmetic field. In parallel the following different methods were employed to characterize both the extracts and to determine their antioxidant capacity: HPTLC, ABTS and DPPH, ORAC and PLC. The qualitative analysis showed that both extracts have the antioxidant activity, but the quantitative evaluation revealed a more promising bioactivity from the shell than from the pulp. Therefore, it was evaluated the potential skin application of different cosmetic formulations, based on the presence of seed shell extract (W/O emulsion, O/W emulsion and gel). The best result was achieved with the W/O emulsion.