Taro Mucilage: Extraction, Characterization, and Application in Cosmetic Formulations VANIELE BUGONI MARTINS, JULIANA GIANTINI DA SILVA CARVALHO, GABRIELLI ALINE PIETRO BOM, MÁRIO ANTÔNIO ALVES DA CUNHA, JULIO CESAR KLEIN DAS NEVES, MARINA LEITE MITTERER DALTOÉ, and CRISTIANE REGINA BUDZIAK PARABOCZ, De partamento de Química, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Via do Conhecimento, Pato Branco 85503-390, Brasil (V.B.M., J.G.D.S.V.C., G.A.P.B., M.A.A.D.C., M.L.M.D., C.R.B.P.), Depa rtamento Acadêmico de Mecânica, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Rua Dep. Heitor Alencar Furtado, Curitiba 81280-340, Brasil (J.C.K.D. N.) Accepted for publication February 11, 2021. Synopsis T aro muci lage, a hydrocolloid present in the rhizome of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, was extracted and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis, and proximal composition. In addition, cosmetic formulations based on extracted mucilage were developed and studied. The mucilage presented a semicrystalline structure with high thermal stability, the presence of granules along its surface area, and good emulsifying activity. High physical–chemical stability was also found in the mucilage and the cosmetic formulations during storage. All cream samples presented pseudoplastic behavior, with a fl ow behavior index lower than 1, which is a desirable characteristic for cosmetics, as it improves its applicability. The mucilage demonstrates potential for application in cosmetic products, and its commercial use as an ingredient in cosmetics could be a strategic tool for the creation of a new product chain and adding value to the culture of Colocasia0 esculenta. INTRODUCT I ON Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott is a plant native to the humid tropical regions of Asia, belonging to the Araceae family, which is composed of at least 100 genera and more than 1,500 species. The plant has rhizomes with a high carbohydrate content (90–95%), pro- tein (2.9–4.9%), fi ber, and mucilage (1,2). The most widely cultivated varieties include Colocasia esculenta var esculenta and Colocasia esculenta var antiquorum. The fi rst has a large central corm with suckers and stolons, and the second is the eddoe type, which has a small central corm and a large number of smaller cormels (3). Address all correspondence to Cristiane Regina Budziak Parabocz at cristianerb@utfpr.edu.br. J. Cosmet. Sci., 72, 279–291 (May/June 2021) 279