J. Cosmet. Sci., 72, 155–162 (March/April 2021) 155 Stability of a Natural-Based Cream Containing Lecythis pisonis Extract ANA C. HERTEL PEREIRA, LORRAINE O. RIBEIRO, ELISANGELA F. PIMENTEL, FABIANA G. RUAS, JOSÉ A. VENTURA, and DENISE C. ENDRINGER, Pharmaceutical Science Graduate Program, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha 29102-920, Brazil (A.C.H.P., L.O.R., E.F.P., D.C.E.), C apixaba Institute of Research, Technical Assistance and Rural Extension, Vitória, Brazil (F.G.R., J.A.V.) Accepted for publication November 24, 2020. S ynopsis T he outer pericarps of Lecythis pisonis Camb. are by-products with a high content of antioxidant substances. The goal of the present study was to analyze the incorporation of L. pisonis pericarp extract in an all-natural formulation. Physical–chemical and organoleptic characteristics and Challenge tests were evaluated before and after the stability test of the cosmetic formulation. The instability of the formulation increased with the increase of the concentration of the extract. The physical–chemical and organoleptic parameters did not present alterations after the stability test. The extract of the outer pericarp of L. pisonis seems to be compatible with the cream formulation. However, the concentration should be analyzed to not interfere with the stability of the product. The natural formulation developed is under the legal requirements of the National Agency of Sanitary Monitoring of Brazil (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária), presenting an effi cient conservation system. INTR O DUCTION Cosm etics are products constituted by natural or synthetic substances used in personal hygiene, protection, odorization, or embellishment (1). There is a worldwide growing demand for cosmetics with ingredients of the vegetable source. For example, in Europe, it represented 3% of the sales, with annual growth for 2016 of 20% (2). Regulatory au- thorities guide that cosmetics should not harm human health. Therefore, the safety of fi nal products must be evaluated, considering the toxicological profi le of the ingredients, the chemical structure, and human exposure (3). Aburjai and Natsheh (4) assessed more than 50 natural compounds for cosmetical purposes. When creating a cosmetic product with natural ingredients, phytochemical studies are required and the stability of the substance in the formulation. So, when commercialized, A ddress all correspondence to Denise C. Endringer, denise.endringer@uvv.br

JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE 156 it will not harm the consumer’s health. In Brazil, the tests related to this matter are guided by the Cosmetic Guide elaborated by the Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) (5). The Lec ythis pisonis Camb., popularly known as Sapucaia, belongs to the Lecythidaceae family and grows in Africa, Asia, and Latin America (6). Fruits from this botanical contain nuts with high nutritional value and biological activities previously evaluated (7–10). Key bio logical activities studied for the nuts include anti-infl ammatory (10), antioxidant (11), and the use of the oil for pain relief (7). The outer pericarp of the L. pisonis nuts, however, was not biologically evaluated, and considering the color, tannins may be pres- ent. Compounds like tannins have been associated with promoting wound healing (12) and antioxidant activity (13). They possess cosmetic action to improve skin tone and fi rmness due to the astringent effect (4). Besides astringent action, they may also induce complexing enzymes that promote an antimicrobial effect (14). Conside ring the chemical composition and the studies already published for L. pisonis and, knowing that the outer pericarp is a by-product of the nuts commercialization, this study aims to propose a cosmetic use of it in a natural formulation evaluating its stability. This study will contribute to the promotion of sustainable development of Sapucaia’s commercialization by transforming a residue into a by-product, allowing the income in- crease of the family producer. MATERIA LS AND METHODS PLANT M ATERIAL The L. pisonis fruits were collected in Laranja da Terra, Espírito Santo, Brazil, in 2015 by the Capixaba Institute of Research and Rural Extension. A voucher was deposited in the Herbarium of the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro (Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro- Holotype) and the Royal Botanic Gardens (K000600113). Fruits w ere open, and their nuts were separated from the arils. After selection, the nuts were peeled, separating the nuts from the outer pericarp. The outer pericarps were then dried in a ventilated oven at 40°C for 24 h, pulverized in a ball mill, and then stored at -18°C until analysis. The extract was obtained using a Soxhlet apparatus for 6 h, using ethanol as solvent. After that, the solvent was removed using a rotatory evaporator. PHYTOCHEMIC AL SCREENING The determi nation of total phenolic and tannin content was performed according to Krepsky et al. (15), with adaptations. In brief, 25 μL of the sample solution was added to a 96-well plate with 10 μL of the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent (10% volume/volume) and 215 μL sodium carbonate (10.6% m/v). After 3 min of reaction, the absorption was determined at 715 nm. To determine the tannin content, 20 mL of the sample solution was shaken with 200 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone for 60 min, and after fi ltration, 25 μL was used in the same reaction previously described. Gallic acid and tannic acid were used at a concentration ranging 150 from 6.5 μg/mL (r2 = 0.991 and r2 = 0.981, respectively). The experiments