The cosmetic industry uses the term ‘cosmeceutical’ to refer to a cosmetic formula that has drug-like applicative advantages. Many marine algae are rich in biologically active components that have been reported to exhibit strong benefits to the skin, mainly for photoprotection, skin whitening, moisturization, anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, antioxidants, and antimicrobial uses.
1. Introduction
In cosmeceuticals, cosmetic products are a topical combination of cosmetic and pharmaceutical with bioactive molecules to have medicinal or drug-like applications to improve health and texture of skin [
1,
2]. Due to modernization and skin care attention, cosmetic companies are enlarging gradually each year worldwide. To fulfill the requirements of customers, these cosmetic companies are moving towards unbeatable exploitation of synthetic cosmetics and constituents. Due to the ineffectiveness of synthetic components, it may cumulate in skin and produce toxic effects and may cause harm to healthy skin structure. Hydroxybenzoic acid esters (parabens) reported its adverse effect to the skin as well as increase incidence of malignant melanoma and breast cancer since it is widely used in cosmetic formulations [
3]. Another substance is phthalate, which is highly found in different cosmetic formulations that can cause DNA mutations and damage, as found in human male gamete [
4,
5]. Some of these synthetic chemical compounds can cause detrimental effects in animals such as reduction of sperm counts, changed pregnancy outcomes, congenital disabilities of male genitalia, etc. [
6]. As a result, users have changed their liking and selected natural cosmetic products for usage [
7]. Hence, the enlarging market for skincare formulations and constant look for an alternative natural constituents led to the production of a different types of cosmeceutical skin products [
8].
Marine macroalgae (seaweeds) are macroscopic, multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that can perform photosynthesis due to presence of Chlorophyll and some other photosynthetic pigments. They are widely distributed along the coastal line (the intertidal and sub-tidal regions) and in brackish water [
10]. Based on pigment composition, they can be classified into three types. Brown alga belongs to Ochrophyta phylum (Phaeophyceae class), red alga belongs to Rhodophyta phylum, and green alga belongs to Chlorophyta phylum. Among these three types, brown algae belong to the Chromista kingdom, whereas green and red algae belong to the Plantae kingdom [
10,
11]. Seaweeds have a more highly diversified bioactive constituents than terrestrial organisms [
12]. These bioactive compounds have a wide range of biological activities which can be used in product preparation as an ingredient [
13,
14]. The applications of macroalgae in cosmeceutical formulations depends on their constituents (such as polysaccharides, carbohydrate derivatives, proteins, peptides, amino acids, phenolic compounds, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, pigments, etc.) [
15,
16]. Many previous findings have reported the role of seaweed based bioactive compounds which offer antitumor, antiallergic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiinflammation, antilipidemic activity, antiwrinkle, anti-aging, moisturizing, and photoprotection activities [
5,
15,
17,
18,
19].
2. Seaweed Derived Metabolites in Cosmetics
For the preparation of cosmeceutical products, macroalgae-derived compounds have been noted as being of significant importance [20]. Polysaccharides have a great role in cosmetics including in moisturizers, emulsifiers, wound healing agents, and thickening agents [21]. Fernando et al. [22] have reported anti-inflammation activity of Fucoidan from Chnoospora minima (Phaeophyceae) by inhibition of Lipopolysaccharides induced nitric oxide production, inducible nitric oxide productions, Cyclooxygenase-2, and Prostaglandin E2 levels in an experimental study by targeting RAW macrophages. Likewise, Ariede et al. [23], Wang et al. [24], and Teas and Irhimeh, [25] reported beneficial activities of Fucus vesiculosus (Figure 1a) (Phaeophyceae) derived polysaccharides such as anti-aging, anti-melanogenic, anti-cancer, and antioxidant activity by stimulating collagen production, tyrosinase inhibition, decreasing melanoma growth and by preventing oxidation formation, respectively. In addition, the anti-inflammation activity of sulphated polysaccharide from Padina tetrastromatica (Phaeophyceae) by COX-2 and iNOS inhibitions in an experimental model of Paw edema in rats [26]. Moreover, Khan et al. [27] reported the anti-inflammation activity of polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from Undaria pinnatifida (Figure 1b) (Phaeophyceae) on mouse ear edema and erythema. In vitro, the antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts from Osmundaria obtusilo and Palisada flagellifera (Rhodophyta) was studied by DPPH, ABTS, metal chelating, Folin ciocalteau, and beta-carotene bleaching assays [28,29]. Phenolic compound Sargachromanol E revealed antiaging activities from Sargassum horneri (Phaeophyceae) by inhibition of matric metalloprotein expression on UVA irradiated dermal fibroblast [30].
Figure 1. Seaweed species images: (a)—Fucus vesiculosus (P); (b)—Undaria pinnatifida (P); (c)—Schizymenia dubyi (R); (d)—Ulva linza (C); (e)—Bryopsis plumosa (C); (f)—Laminaria digitata (P); (g)—Palmaria palmata (R); (h)—Himanthalia elongata (P); (i)—Porphyra umbilicalis (R); (j)—Jania rubens (R); (k)—Gracilaria gracilis (R); (l)—Ceramium virgatum (R); (m)—Kappaphycus alvarezii (R); (n)—Ulva lactuca (C); (o)—Ascophyllum nodosum (P); (p)—Eucheuma denticulatum (R); C—Chlorophyta; R—Rhodophyta; P—Phaeophyceae; Scale = 1 cm.
3. Polysaccharides
Marine macroalgae derived polysaccharides are well known for their biological benefits. The presence of polysaccharides (ulvan, fucoidan, alginate, laminarin, carrageenan, sulphated polysaccharides, agar, and agarose) in macroalgae and noted their cosmeceutical benefits. Other examples of macroalgae derived polysaccharides and their cosmetic benefits are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Application of macroalgae derived polysaccharides in skin cosmetics.
No. |
Name of Macroalgae |
Polysaccharides |
Cosmetic Benefits |
References |
1 |
Ulva lactuca (Figure 1n) (C) |
SP (Ulvan) |
Antioxidant, Moisturizer, Photoprotective |
[39] |
|
Neopyropia yezoensis (R) |
Porphyran |
Antiinflammation |
[40,41] |
2 |
Porphyridium sp.* (R), Costaria costata (P), Ulva lactuca (Figure 1n) (C) |
Sulphated polysaccharides |
Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Antiaging |
[42] |
3 |
Fucus vesiculosus (Figure 1a) |
Fucoidans |
Antiaging, Antiwrinkle |
[43] |
4 |
Ascophyllum nododum (Figure 1o), Chnoospora minima, Sargassum fusiforme, Saccharina japonica, Sargassum polycystum, S. vachellianum, S. hemiphyllum (P) |
Fucoidans |
Photoprotection, Anti photoaging Anti-inflammatory, Anti-elastase, Anti-collagenase, Skin whitening |
[44,45,46,47] |
5 |
Fucus vesiculosus (Figure 1a) (P) |
Fucoidan |
Anticoagulant Antioxidant, Enhancer of Skin fibroblast formation |
[48] |
6 |
Neoporphyra haitanensis (R) |
Porphyran |
Antioxidant |
[49,50] |
7 |
Saccharina longicruris (P) |
Laminaran |
Anti-inflammation, Antioxidant, Reconstruction of dermis |
[51,52] |
8 |
Saccharina longicruris (P) |
Galactofucans |
Enhance fibroblast formation, Increase synthesis of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) complex and collagen-1 |
[53] |
9 |
Eucheuma denticulatum (Figure 1p) (R) |
Carrageenan |
Antioxidant, photoprotection |
[54] |
10 |
Gelidium sp. (R) |
Agar |
Thickener |
[55] |
11 |
Ascophyllum sp., Fucus sp., Sargassum sp., Undaria sp. (P) |
Laminaran |
Anticellulite |
[56] |
12 |
Saccharina cichorioides (P) |
Fucoidan |
Anti-atopic dermatitis |
[57] |
13 |
Corallina officinalis (Figure 3a) (R) |
Sulphated polysaccharides |
Antioxidant |
[58] |
14 |
Ulva australis (C) |
Ulvan |
Antiaging |
[59,60] |
15 |
Acanthophora muscoides (R) |
Sulphated polysaccharides-Carrageenan |
Anticoagulant, Antinociceptive, antiinflammation, Gel agents |
[61,62,63] |
17 |
Chondrus crispus (R) |
Carrageenan |
Gel and Thickening agent, Skin moisturizer |
[64] |
18 |
Ulva rigida (Figure 3m), U. pseudorotundata (C) |
Sulphated polysaccharides |
Antioxidant, Chelators, Gel agents, Moisturizer |
[65] |
19 |
Ascophyllum nodosum (Figure 1o) (P) |
Fucoidan |
Anti-inflammation, Antiviral, Antiaging, Anti elastase, Photoprotective, Tyrosinase inhibition, Anticellulite |
[66] |
20 |
Gracilaria sp. (R) |
Agar |
Thickener |
[67] |
21 |
Padina boergesenii (P) |
Sulphated polysaccharides |
Formation of collagen |
[68] |
22 |
Macrocystis sp., Lessonia sp., Laminaria sp. (P) |
Alginate |
Gelling and Stabilizing agent, Moisturizer, Chelator |
[69,70] |
24 |
Kjellmaniella crassifolia |
Fucoidan |
Antiaging, Antiwrinkle |
[71] |
25 |
Brown algae (P) |
Alginate |
Thickening agent Gelling agent |
[72] |
27 |
Sargassum vachellianum (P) |
Polysaccharides |
Skin moisturizer and protectors |
[73] |
28 |
Fucus vesiculosus (Figure 1a), Laminaria digitata (Figure 1f), Undaria pinnatifida (Figure 1b) (P) |
Fucoidan |
Antioxidant, Antiaging, Anticoagulant, Increase skin fibroblast formulation |
[74,75] |
29 |
Ascophyllum nodosum (Figure 1o) (P) |
Fucoidan |
Anti-elastase, gelatinase A inhibition, Inhibition of interleukin-1 beta in fibroblast cells |
[76] |
30 |
Ecklonia cava (P) |
Phlorotannins |
Photoprotectors against UV-B |
[77,78] |
31 |
Neoporphyra haitanensis, Gracilaria chouae, G. blodgetti (R) |
Agar |
Antioxidant, Thickeners Antitumor, Radiation protector, Antiaging |
[79,80] |
32 |
Turbinaria conoides (P) |
Laminarin, Alginate, Fucoidan |
Antioxidant |
[81] |
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/phycology2010010