Cleistocalyx nervosum var. paniala Extract: Anti-acne, Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory Activities and Safety for Cosmeceutical Applications

This research aimed to investigate the biological activities and safety of extracts from Cleistocalyx nervosum var. paniala for anti-acne cosmeceutical and to determine total phenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents and HPLC fingerprint. The extracts named as whole fruit extract (WF) and seed extract (SE), were macerated with 95% ethanol. Antibacterial effects against Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated using agar diffusion, broth microdilution and time-kill kinetic assays. The results revealed that SE presented stronger antibacterial activities against C. acnes and S. aureus with inhibition zone of 22.74 ± 0.52 and 12.67 ± 0.15 mm, respectively. However, the MIC and MBC values were with 6.25 and 3.12 mg/ml for C. acnes and S. aureus, respectively, with a kill time of 2 and 4 h, respectively. SE showed higher phenolic and flavonoid contents compared with WF. In contrast, WF revealed higher anthocyanin content. According to HPLC analysis, ellagic acid was used as a marker. Additionally, anti-oxidant activity of the extracts was investigated by DPPH assay and inhibition on nitric oxide radicals. SE showed better activities with IC50 of 7.51 ± 0.40 and 25.47 ± 1.09 µg/ml, respectively. Therefore, SE was selected for testing with nitric oxide radical producing on RAW 264.7 cell lines which presented 22.99% inhibition. Moreover, SE showed no irritation on Hen's Egg Test Chorioallantoic Membrane. To conclude, SE from C. nervosum exerted stronger biological activities than WF. It also demonstrated a good potential concerning antibacterial on acne-related microorganisms, anti-oxidants, and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, it could be a promising bio-active compound to further develop into anti-acne cosmeceutical products. Keywords: Cleistocalyx nervosum, Acne vulgaris, Cutibacterium acnes, Anti-inflammatory activity