Exploring the potential of icelandic seaweeds extracts produced by aqueous pulsed electric fields-assisted extraction for cosmetic applications

Funding Information: The project was partly supported by the Science and technology assistance project of Xinjiang (No. 2014AB033), the science and technology plan project Technology Research Development plan project of Shaanxi Province, China (No. 2014K01-17-07). Science and Technology Major Project of Xianyang city (No. 2014k01-15), Shaanxi Province, China. Funding Information: The project was partly supported by the Science and technology assistance project of Xinjiang (No. 2014AB033), the science and technology plan project of Xi’an city (No. NC1317 (1)), the Science and Technology Research Development plan project of Shaanxi Province, China (No. 2014K01-17-07). Science and Technology Major Project of Xianyang city (No. 2014k01-15), Shaanxi Province, China. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.A growing concern for overall health is driving a global market of natural ingredients not only in the food industry but also in the cosmetic field. In this study, a screening on potential cosmetic applications of aqueous extracts from three Icelandic seaweeds produced by pulsed electric fields (PEF) was performed. Produced extracts by PEF from Ulva lactuca, Alaria esculenta and Palmaria palmata were compared with the traditional hot water extraction in terms of polyphenol, flavonoid and carbohydrate content. Moreover, antioxidant properties and enzymatic inhibitory activities were evaluated by using in vitro assays. PEF exhibited similar results to the traditional method, showing several advantages such as its non-thermal nature and shorter extraction time. Amongst the three Icelandic species, Alaria esculenta showed the highest content of phenolic (mean value 8869.7 µg GAE/g dw) and flavonoid (mean value 12,098.7 µg QE/g dw) compounds, also exhibiting the highest antioxidant capacities. Moreover, Alaria esculenta extracts exhibited excellent anti-enzymatic activities (76.9, 72.8, 93.0 and 100% for collagenase, elastase, tyrosinase and hyaluronidase, respectively) for their use in skin whitening and anti-aging products. Thus, our preliminary study suggests that Icelandic Alaria esculenta-based extracts produced by PEF could be used as potential ingredients for natural cosmetic and cosmeceutical formulations.Peer reviewe

Determination of bioactive properties of food grade extracts from Icelandic edible brown seaweed sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) with in vitro human cell cultures (THP-1)

Background: Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima, formerly known as Laminaria saccharina) is a brown seaweed which naturally occurs in the North Atlantic. Seaweeds may be one of the last natural food resources abundantly available. They are known to contain many compounds which may have additional functional benefits. This edible seaweed is characterized by high content of nutrients including carbohydrates and polyphenols, which are recognized antioxidants. Because their natural environment is a 3% saline solution, they are very resistant to mild extraction methods. However, extracts from solvent extractions usually contain residual solvents, making them unacceptable for high quality functional foods and high end cosmetics. The objective of this study was to test the biological properties of three extracts from sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima). Methods: Cold water, hot water, and ethanol: water (70:30 v/v) extracts were prepared. Total Carbohydrate Content (TCC) was determined by the phenol – sulphuric acid method and values were expressed as mg of fucose/g of dry extract. Total Polyphenol Content (TPC) was determined and expressed as mg of Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/100g of dry extract. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay was performed for all extracts and values were expressed as µM of Trolox® Equivalent/g of dry extract. Human leukemia monocytic cell line (THP-1) was used to investigate the bioactivity of Saccharina extracts. Extracts were applied to PMA differentiated THP-1 cells. Cytotoxicity of derived extracts was assessed by light microscopy followed by XTT proliferation assay. Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were performed to determine secretion of interleukin – 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor – α (TNF-α) and interleukin – 6 (IL-6). Results: The cold water extract exhibited very toxic properties toward macrophages and was thereby excluded from the experimental proceedings with use of the macrophages. Among all the tested extracts, the hot water extract was richest in sugars (682±243 mg fucose/g dry extract) and polyphenols (96.5±5.6 mg GAE/g dry extract), which was correlated to the determined ORAC values (1686±99 μM TE/g dry extract). The addition of hot water and ethanol extracts at concentrations 100 μg/ml triggered secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α suggesting immunomodulatory properties of Saccharina extracts toward macrophages. Conclusions: The present study suggests that carbohydrate enriched extracts from Icelandic edible seaweed Saccharina latissima have antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties towards human THP–1 derived macrophages. The carbohydrate and polyphenol correlated with ORAC values confirming antioxidant properties of the derived extracts. The hot water extract affected the pro–inflammatory (TNF–α) and anti–inflammatory (IL–10) cytokine secretion in macrophages, suggesting their bioactivity through immunomodulatory actions and can be considered for practical applications in functional foods and cosmetics

Bioactive effect of sulphated polysaccharides derived from orange-footed sea cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) toward THP-1 macrophages

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowAtlantic sea cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) is a marine invertebrate that occurs naturally in the North Atlantic. Its collagen rich body walls make the sea cucumber an appreciated food source in many countries. The heteroglycans derived from the cartilage of Atlantic sea cucumbers have shown potential as a source of bioactive compounds, but further investigation is needed to confirm this hypothesis. The objectives of this work were to test the immunomodulating properties of heteroglycan fractions (FCFs) derived from Atlantic sea cucumbers toward phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) differentiated THP-1 macrophages. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) was determined and cell culture media was collected and analyzed for presence of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10). FCFs toxicity toward macrophages was evaluated by light microscopy and confirmed by XTT proliferation assay. Heteroglycans derived from cartilage of Atlantic sea cucumber showed immunomodulatory activity in THP-1 macrophages. FCF-1, −2, and − 3) at concentrations 0.1–100 µg/mL induced levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 proofing their bioactivity towards THP-1 macrophages. However, fractions of FCF-1 and FCF-2 may have induced oxidative stress in the macrophages, which possibly could lead to decreased cellular viability