Serratula coronata in cream may curb effects of inflammatory skin diseases

26 Jan 2023 --- With increasing pursuits for novel plant ingredients in the cosmetics industry, a Poland-based study has found that the herbal flower Serratula coronata is a source of phytoecdysteroids compounds, which can be used to develop formulations for skincare with anti-inflammatory benefits.

Researchers suggest cosmetics with phytoecdysteroids are suitable for people with dry and very dry skin, psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. “Their effectiveness is the result of transdermal permeability of 20-hydroxyecdysone.”

However, the authors underscore that plant extracts lack homogeneity and present considerable challenges at standardization and description. This variability could also affect the stability of cosmetic formulations and their transdermal permeability.

With these challenges in mind, the researchers formulated test creams containing S. coronata and found that they showed chemical and microbiological stability, contributing to their safety.

The researchers highlight that the microbiological purity of cosmetics offers safety to their users during application. It also prevents physicochemical changes in the preparation. 

“Testing for stability ensures that a cosmetic product maintains its intended quality. Unfortunately, studies on the microbial quality and stability of cosmetics containing an S. coronata herb extract are limited at best.”Test creams (Image credit: Study).

Calming chemicals
The researchers found the presence of bio-active phytoecdysteroids in the herbal flower that have “significant” anti-inflammatory effects – making it valuable for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. However, they note the lack of data on its use in cosmetics.

As a result, the study aimed to spotlight the importance of S. coronata extract as a source of bio-active phytoecdysteroids and prove that the extract is key in making products safe and stable for aiding the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, such as psoriasis.

“The study confirmed the presence of phytoecdysteroid fractions of the S. coronata herb in the creams (20-hydroxyecdysone, polypodine B, and ajugasterone C),” detail the authors, adding integristerone A, ecdysterone 2,3,20,22-diacetonide, and ecdysterone 20,22-monoacetonide to the list.

Moreover, S. coronata – a perennial herb from the Asteraceae family – is rich in ascorbic acid, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Its leaves are noted to contain amino acids, notably aspartic and glutamic acids and leucine. Whereas, the buds contain amino acid L-arginine.

Skin barrier enhancerMicrobiological purity of cosmetics offers safety to their users during application.
The phytoecdysteroids in the extract were found to fortify the natural epidermal barrier and reduce transepidermal water loss. They also increased epithelial hydration and strength and improved exfoliation of the corneal epithelium, thereby restoring skin smoothness.

“The compositions of the prepared cosmetics were: Cream 0 (Lekobaza and placebo), Cream 1 (Lekobaza and S. coronata extract), Cream 2 (Lekobaza and salicylic acid) and Cream 3 (Lekobaza, S. coronata extract and salicylic acid),” share the authors.

“Lekobaza is a multi-component medium with a pH of 5.5 containing white Vaseline, glycerol monostearate and cetyl alcohol, Miglyol 812, macrogol-20-glycerol-monostearate, propylene glycol and purified water. It is a universal base that penetrates the skin easily, is less greasy and creates a protective film on the skin’s surface.”

Discovering nature-based ingredients
In related research, a Thailand-based study uncovered cosmeceutical applications for anti-aging, skin-whitening and antioxidant applications of cashew leaf extract as it showed “substantial” antioxidant activities with the highest inhibition of skin aging enzymes such as tyrosinase and collagenase.

Additionally, a research team at International Flavors and Fragrances found that Cistus incanus extract – also known as hairy rock rose – can block psychological stress by signaling and reducing neurogenic inflammation and signs of aging.

By Venya Patel

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