In vitro biological properties of phyllanthus emblica, manilkara zapota extracts and their combinations for cosmetic applications

Abstract

The changes in skin conditions involve several pathways. Natural extract has been included to improve the skin condition. However, single extract with several properties is barely available. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of individual amla and sapota fruit extracts and their combinations at the ratio of 5:1, 1:1 and 1:5 on in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase and anti-tyrosinase activities. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were determined by DPPH radical scavenging assay and by nitric oxide radical scavenging assay, respectively. Anti-collagenase, anti-elastase and anti-tyrosinase were analyzed by EnzChek® gelatinase/collagenase assay kit, EnzChek® elastase assay kit and DOPA chrome method, respectively. Ethanolic amla extract exhibited the strongest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities with IC50 of 1.84 ± 0.1 and 17.31 ± 0.37 µg/ml, respectively, while ethanolic sapota eaxtract revealed the highest anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activities with IC50 of 65.68 ± 3.63 and 36.82 ± 0.72 µg/ml, respectively. For anti-tyrosinase activity, sapota extract showed low activity with IC50 of 5862.52 ± 169.5 µg/ml whereas it was undetectable in amla extract. Combination amla and sapota extract at the ratio of 5:1, 1:1 and 1:5 provided antioxidant activity with IC50 of 2.21 ± 0.15, 3.13 ± 0.06 and 7.3 ± 0.73 µg/ml, respectively, and showed anti-inflammatory activity with IC50 of 19.72 ± 0.35, 31.14 ± 0.49 and 68.8 ± 1.35 µg/ml, respectively. Combination containing amla as a main constituent showed the highest activities. For anti-proteinase activity, their combination at the ratio of 5:1, 1:1 and 1:5 exhibited anti-collagenase activity with IC50 of 78.9 ± 3.42, 74.48 ± 1.61 and 68.68 ± 2.69 µg/ml, respectively, and revealed anti-elastase activity with IC50 of 150.72 ± 7.9, 71.9 ± 5.06 and 36.22 ± 0.99 µg/ml, respectively. Sapota showed a predominant in both activities and the combination which contained sapota as a main constituent exhibited the highest in both activities. The combination index (CI) at median condition of most combination ratios were exhibited additive effect, except combination 1:1 in antioxidant, combination 5:1 and 1:5 in anti-inflammatory, combination 5:1​ in anti-collagenase and combination 1:5 in anti-elastase activities which showed synergistic effect. Interestingly, combination 1:5 provided potent antioxidant and good anti-inflammatory activities from the effect of amla extract, moreover, it obtained effective anti-elastase and good anti-collagenase from the effect of sapota extract. This combination, therefore, may enhance overall cosmetic properties and may be further included as an active ingredient in cosmetic product.