Cosmetic applications of extracts from apis mellifera larvae

Abstract

This study aimed to extract bioactive proteins and protein hydrolysates from Apis mellifera larvae, examine their amino acid profiles, evaluate their biological activities related to cosmetic/cosmeceutical potential, and investigate irritation properties. Various extraction media, including deionized water or 0.5 M of sodium hydroxide, citric acid, ascorbic acid, or hydrochloric acid aqueous solution, were used to extract crude proteins, which were further hydrolyzed using the Alcalase® enzyme. The amino acid profiles were evaluated using gas chromatography according to association of official analytical chemists’ official methods. The antioxidant activity of each extract was assessed using the 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and Griess assays. Anti-aging properties were evaluated based on their anti-hyaluronidase and anti-collagenase activities. The irritation potential was measured using the hen's egg chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM) test. The results indicated that lysine was the predominant chemical component in A. mellifera larvae. The extraction using sodium hydroxide yielded the significantly highest protein content and hyaluronidase inhibition, with an inhibition of 78.1 ± 1.5% at the final concentration of 0.1 mg/mL, which was equivalent to that of oleanolic acid. On the other hand, proteins extracted using ascorbic acid and their hydrolysates demonstrated considerable collagenase and nitric oxide inhibition, with anti-collagenase activity comparable to lysine and ascorbic acid. Additionally, these extracts were shown to be safe in the HET-CAM test. The findings provide valuable insights into using A. mellifera larval proteins as active ingredients in various cosmeceutical applications for anti-aging.