Antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and anti-collagenase activities of virgin coconut oil and stability of its cream

Abstract

© 2020 by Maejo University, San Sai, Chiang Mai, 50290 Thailand. Virgin coconut oil (VCO) was extracted from coconut meat (Cocos nucifera Linn.) by centrifugation technique. The VCO was analysed to investigate its potential as a cosmetic ingredient. Inhibition of free radicals with IC50 values of 1.39 ± 0.01, 78.16 ± 0.60, and 27.43 ± 0.37 mg/mL in ABTS, DPPH and superoxide radical scavenging tests was obtained for VCO respectively. The skin-whitening effect was examined with tyrosinase assay using L-DOPA as enzymatic substrate. The anti-aging property was determined by collagenase inhibitory activity. The optimal IC50 values for anti-tyrosinase and anti-collagenase activities were 761.89 ± 18.85 mg/mL and 625.93 ± 11.62 mg/mL respectively. These results suggest that VCO has potential as a functional ingredient in both cosmeceutical products (e.g. whitening and anti-aging skincare products), and products that aim to decrease oxidative stress, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkles of facial skin. The optimal concentration of VCO was formulated as a VCO cream and analysed in terms of both its physical characteristics and stability. The results showed that VCO cream has absolute physical stability at different storage conditions which evidences its potential as an anti-aging product.