Development and Physicochemical Characterization of Green Cosmeceutical Herbal Facial Gel-Cream Containing Green Tomato Locular Gel (GTLG).

Green cosmeceuticals are sustainable skincare products formulated using only biodegradable, naturally derived ingredients aiming to improve various skin conditions while concomitantly preserving the environment. Its rising demand is due to its generally better toxicological profiles with appreciable pharmacological effects as compared to synthetic-based cosmeceuticals with frequently reported adverse reactions. The locular gel extracted from the locular cavities of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an excellent example of a plant-derived ingredient with cosmeceuticals benefits. The partially matured green tomatoes consist of locular gel (GTLG) with numerous bioactive compounds beneficial for skin health may be a potential alternative for chemical active ingredient in the formulation of green cosmeceuticals. This study was undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial profiles of GTLG and to formulate a green cosmeceutical herbal facial gelcream with claims of being colour-free, sulfide-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free and SLS-free utilizing GTLG as the active ingredient. The extracted GTLG was subjected to in vitro antioxidant assays including 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), antibacterial and antifungal assays. The formulated GTLG-containing facial gel-cream was evaluated for its physicochemical properties (e.g. organoleptic characteristics, pH, spreadability, washability, viscosity) and its stability under freeze-thaw and accelerated conditions. GTLG was found to possess moderate antioxidant capacities at IC50 of 0.6405 ± 0.029mg/mL and 0.061 ± 0.013mg/mL for DPPH and ABTS assay respectively as compared to the positive control, Trolox (IC50(DPPH) = 5.237 ± 0.938µg/mL; IC50(ABTS) = 5.409 ± 0.612µg/mL). Besides, GTLG showed promising antibacterial and antifungal properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Malassezia furfur in agar well diffusion assay with zones of inhibition of 10.33±0.58mm and 16.00mm respectively. The formulation had vanishing cream properties with cosmetically appealing appearance, smooth texture, homogenous without any signs of phase separation, skinfriendly pH, and good spreadability. It possessed non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic behaviour that facilitates topical application. It was stable throughout the freeze-thaw test and under accelerated stability conditions (40 ± 2°C/75 ± 5% RH). GTLG-containing green cosmeceutical facial gel-cream with antioxidant and antimicrobial potential was successfully developed in line with SDG 3 and 12. Further pharmacological and clinical studies would be conducted to warrant them as clinically tested evidence-based formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]