abstract
- Helichrysum stoechas Phenolic compounds Decoction Antioxidant activity Microencapsulation Cosmeticsa
- The present work explores the antioxidant potential of Helichrysum stoechas (L.) Moench phenoliccompounds for cosmetic applications involving the following steps: chemical characterization, microen-capsulation and incorporation into a moisturizer. Eighteen different phenolic compounds were identifiedin flowering aerial parts (decoction and hydroalcoholic extract), being 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid andmyricetin O-acetylhexoside the most abundant phenolic acid and flavonoid, respectively. Compara-tively to the decoction form, the hydroalcoholic extract presented both higher antioxidant activity andhigher phenolic content, being its lyophilized form chosen to proceed with microencapsulation studies.Double emulsion/evaporation microencapsulation technique was applied to produce polycaprolactonebased microspheres containing H. stoechas hydroalcoholic extract, which were then successfully incor-porated into a moisturizer. The results obtained demonstrated the antioxidant potential of H. stoechashydroalcoholic extract and the viability of its microencapsulation, thus opening new perspectives for theexploitation of these natural phenolic extracts in applications such as the cosmetic industry.