Supercritical extraction and NETmix technology to produce green and stabilized M. oleifera functional ingredients having in view cosmeceutical formulations

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Optimised model microcapsules of Arabic gum and gelatin a for functional cosmetic applications: From formulation to scale-up using a mesostructured reactor

Publication . Kessler, Júlia C.; Martins, Isabel M.; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Lopes, José Carlos B.; Rodrigues, Alírio; Barreiro, M.F.; Dias, Madalena M.

Microcapsules were developed using Arabic gum and gelatin A through complex coacervation, employing both batch and continuous production methods. Ingredients were chosen to encapsulate diverse hydrophobic core materials with functional properties tailored for cosmetic applications, such as those found in commercial hydrating creams, aiming to enhance their performance through microencapsulation. The formulation was optimised by systematically adjusting key parameters to balance the electrostatic and structural behaviour of the polymers, ensuring ideal encapsulation conditions. The optimised batch formulation (3.5:1 vol-to-volume ratio of core material to emulsifier, stirring at 9500 rpm for 2 min, and 10 % crosslinker concentration) resulted in spherical, multinuclear microcapsules with an average size of circa 60 μm, maintaining structural stability over 45 days. Encapsulation efficiency, defined as the percentage of core material successfully enclosed within the microcapsules relative to the initial amount used, reached up to 89 %. Transitioning to a continuous production method using the NETmix reactor further improved performance, achieving an encapsulation efficiency of 98 %. This was accomplished by performing the emulsification and polymer complexation steps under controlled Reynolds numbers of approximately 358 and 559, sustained over 2 and 4 minutes, respectively.

2025Journal article

Open access

Moringa oleifera L. screening: SFE-CO2 optimisation and chemical composition of seed, leaf, and root extracts as potential cosmetic ingredients

Publication . Kessler, Júlia C.; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Martins, Isabel M.; Rodrigues, Alírio; Barreiro, M.F.; Dias, Madalena M.

Moringa oleifera L. tree (Mo) has emerged as a rich alternative source of bioactive compounds to design cosmetic formulations. Supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction (SFE-CO2) was successfully applied on the screening of Mo seed, leaf, and root extracts. The extraction yield was evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM), for pressure and temperature ranges of 117–273 bar and 41–60 C, respectively, using a design of experiments (DOE). The pressure significantly affected the results (a = 0.05), with the highest extraction efficiency obtained at conditions above 195 bar. The extracts’ composition, evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), revealed an increasing correlation between the pressure, total extract solubility, and mass of extract at a constant temperature, due to the higher extraction yield. Seed extracts presented more than 80% of oleic acid in relative composition (8.04 mgcompound gplantpart -1). Leaf extracts performed well for the obtainment of linolenic acid (>20%; 3.10 mg g-1), nonacosane (>22%; 0.46 mg g-1), and -tocopherol (>20%; 0.21 mg g-1). Mo root resulted in higher relative composition for sterol molecules, despite its very low affinity with CO2. The most promising bioactive compounds, oleic acid and -tocopherol, were more abundant when operating at 250 bar at 45 C and 195 bar at 55 C, for Mo seed and leaf SFE-CO2 extracts, respectively.

2023Journal article

Open access

Advancements in conventional and supercritical CO2 extraction of Moringa oleifera bioactives for cosmetic applications: A review

Publication . Kessler, Júlia C.; Martins, Isabel M.; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Rodrigues, Alírio; Barreiro, M.F.; Dias, Madalena M.

Moringa oleifera L. extracts (Mo) have attracted attention as a sustainable and effective alternative to synthetic ingredients for cosmetic formulations. The unique and diverse phytochemical profile of the Mo tree enhances the quality and appeal of commercial products, as evidenced by numerous studies and patents. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SFE-CO2) is particularly advantageous for this purpose, offering enhanced thermostability and selectivity of extracted compounds compared to conventional methods. This review examines the safety and efficacy of Mo seed, leaf, and root extracts as cosmetic ingredients, focusing on their bioavailability and performance by considering the thermodynamics and operational benefits of SFE-CO2. The collected data highlights the method’s efficiency in terms of the total extraction yield and the recovery of target compounds from Mo, providing insights from optimisation studies and linking the solvation power of supercritical CO2 with the significant non-polar and low-polar compounds present in Mo extracts.

2024Journal article

Open access