Full-component extract of Crithmum maritimum and its effect on epidermal regeneration

Abstract

As a well-known aromatic herb rich in various bioactive molecules, the extract of Crithmum maritimum is widely used in cosmetics. However, the extraction process for Crithmum maritimum is far from perfect. Moreover, the water- and oil-soluble components are too complex to be compatible with each other. Thus, the traditional water- or oil-based extracts of Crithmum maritimum encompass only water- or oil-soluble components, respectively. The effective components being incomplete results in significantly reduced effects. Therefore, obtaining a full-component extract of Crithmum maritimum is imperative to ensure its full functionality. Herein, a full-component extract of Crithmum maritimum based on miscibility between polyol and oil was developed by extracting water-soluble active substances with a ternary solvent, followed by mixing them with oil extracts of Crithmum maritimum. In ternary solvents, most water-soluble compounds of Crithmum maritimum can be extracted by ethanol. During evaporation, the water-soluble components are transferred and dissolved in hexanediol from the solvent. Thus, by blending hexanediol with caprylic/capric triglyceride (GTCC), we successfully created a potent full-component extract of Crithmum maritimum. Through the study of the barrier-weakening 3D full-skin model, it was found that the full-component extract of Crithmum maritimum, rich in chlorogenic acid, could significantly promote the epidermal regeneration of UV-induced skin damage compared to the oil-based extract components.