Potential uses of Aristotelia chilensis extracts as novel cosmetic materials

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the potential applications of Aristotelia chilensis (A. chilensis) extracts as novel cosmetic materials. The total extracts of A. chilensis were partitioned into chloroform (CHCl3), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and distilled water (DW) fractions. A. chilensis extracts exhibited no cytotoxicity toward HaCaT human keratinocyte and B16F10 mouse melanoma cell lines. CHCl3, EtOAc, and DW extracts reduced oxidative stress, and EtOAc extract was superior to glutathione, a natural human antioxidant positive control. The extracts of A. chilensis reduced melanin synthesis in cells treated with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. The extracts of A. chilensis exhibited antibacterial effects toward Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). In particular, the EtOAc extract was effective in terms of antibacterial activity against S. aureus. In the present study, we identified several potential applications of A. chilensis extracts in terms of novel antioxidant and whitening cosmetic materials as well as antibacterial preservatives.