Phenolic Fingerprint, Bioactivity and Nanoformulation of Prunus spinosa L. Fruit Extract for Skin Delivery
Maria De Luca, Carlo Ignazio Giovanni Tuberoso, Ramón Pons, M. Teresa García, M. Carmen Morán, Giulio Ferino, Antonio Vassallo, Giuseppe Martelli, Carla Caddeo
Abstract
The nanoformulation of plant extracts in phospholipid vesicles is a promising strategy to exploit the biological properties of natural bioactive substances and overcome drawbacks such as poor aqueous solubility, chemical instability, low skin permeation and retention time, which strongly limit their topical application. In this study, Prunus spinosa berries were used for the preparation of a hydro-ethanolic extract, which showed antioxidant and antibacterial properties owing to the presence of phenolic compounds. Two types of phospholipid vesicles were developed to improve the applicability as topical formulations. Liposomes and Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles were characterized for mean diameter, polydispersity, surface charge, shape, lamellarity, and entrapment efficiency. Additionally, their safety was assayed with different cell models, including erythrocytes and representative skin cell lines.