25 Cosmetics and Cosmeceutical Applications of Microalgae Pigments
627
The large amount of melanin formed promotes to skin pigmentation. Thus, tyrosinase inhibitors are used to catalyze rate-limiting step in the process of pigmentation (Joshi et al. 2018). It was found that several microalgae extract exhibits excellent antityrosinase activity (Matsukawa et al. 1997). An extract of Nannochloropsis
oculata was found to be effective in inhibiting tyrosinase. Presence of zeaxanthin would be responsible for this efficiency (Shen et al. 2011). Recently, Rao
and colleagues reported that astaxanthin isolated from Haematococcus pluvalis is
successfully implemented as tyrosinase inhibitors. The potent inhibitory effects on
l-Dopa oxidase activity of tyrosinase are increased with astaxanthin concentrations
(Rao et al. 2013). These preliminary studies suggest that microalgae pigments such as
zeaxanthin and astaxanthin are applicable for cosmetics as skin whitening ingredients
and also as drugs for use in the treatment of abnormal pigmentation.
25.5 Pros and Cons of Microalgal Pigments in Cosmetics
and Cosmeceuticals
Nowadays, people are more aware of health, causing a huge change in market
demands from synthetic colorant to natural colorant. Research and development
highly rise to found alternative natural colorant rather than artificial colorant, because
of concerns that chemically synthetic colorant causes cancer, and cause liver and
kidney damage. Colorant is important to manufacturers as they need to get uniformity of their products (Rymbai et al. 2011; Spears 1988). Pigments are one of the
bioactive compounds contained in microalgae biomass. It is a valuable product that
not only can be used as colorant but performs several biological activities that is
important for health benefit. Chlorophyll is found to have the capacity to speed up
wound healing process by 25%, that stimulates tissue growth and shows antibacterial
activity after wound (Hosikian et al. 2010).
To collect pigment from microalgae, several processes should be performed. Each
process has various difficulties and challenges. Microalgae biomass needs to go
through desalting process before completely dried. From dried biomass, pigments
then can be extracted using organic solvent extraction or supercritical fluid extraction methods. In plants, chlorophyll is located mostly or nearly only in chloroplast,
and it is protected by hydrophobic membrane, and complexly binding with phospholipids, polypeptides, and tocopherols (Humphrey 2004). Chlorophyll becomes
unstable when it is removed from its protective environment and can be easily broke
only by different pH conditions. To solve this problem, copper ion often is used
to substitute the magnesium ion in chlorophyll center, in order to form a more
stable compound (Delgado-Vargas and Paredes-Lopez 2002). Copper complex is
not absorbed by body, and removed together with excretion. This chemical modification is considered safe for the body, but it clearly costs more than artificial colorant
(Spears 1988).
627
The large amount of melanin formed promotes to skin pigmentation. Thus, tyrosinase inhibitors are used to catalyze rate-limiting step in the process of pigmentation (Joshi et al. 2018). It was found that several microalgae extract exhibits excellent antityrosinase activity (Matsukawa et al. 1997). An extract of Nannochloropsis
oculata was found to be effective in inhibiting tyrosinase. Presence of zeaxanthin would be responsible for this efficiency (Shen et al. 2011). Recently, Rao
and colleagues reported that astaxanthin isolated from Haematococcus pluvalis is
successfully implemented as tyrosinase inhibitors. The potent inhibitory effects on
l-Dopa oxidase activity of tyrosinase are increased with astaxanthin concentrations
(Rao et al. 2013). These preliminary studies suggest that microalgae pigments such as
zeaxanthin and astaxanthin are applicable for cosmetics as skin whitening ingredients
and also as drugs for use in the treatment of abnormal pigmentation.
25.5 Pros and Cons of Microalgal Pigments in Cosmetics
and Cosmeceuticals
Nowadays, people are more aware of health, causing a huge change in market
demands from synthetic colorant to natural colorant. Research and development
highly rise to found alternative natural colorant rather than artificial colorant, because
of concerns that chemically synthetic colorant causes cancer, and cause liver and
kidney damage. Colorant is important to manufacturers as they need to get uniformity of their products (Rymbai et al. 2011; Spears 1988). Pigments are one of the
bioactive compounds contained in microalgae biomass. It is a valuable product that
not only can be used as colorant but performs several biological activities that is
important for health benefit. Chlorophyll is found to have the capacity to speed up
wound healing process by 25%, that stimulates tissue growth and shows antibacterial
activity after wound (Hosikian et al. 2010).
To collect pigment from microalgae, several processes should be performed. Each
process has various difficulties and challenges. Microalgae biomass needs to go
through desalting process before completely dried. From dried biomass, pigments
then can be extracted using organic solvent extraction or supercritical fluid extraction methods. In plants, chlorophyll is located mostly or nearly only in chloroplast,
and it is protected by hydrophobic membrane, and complexly binding with phospholipids, polypeptides, and tocopherols (Humphrey 2004). Chlorophyll becomes
unstable when it is removed from its protective environment and can be easily broke
only by different pH conditions. To solve this problem, copper ion often is used
to substitute the magnesium ion in chlorophyll center, in order to form a more
stable compound (Delgado-Vargas and Paredes-Lopez 2002). Copper complex is
not absorbed by body, and removed together with excretion. This chemical modification is considered safe for the body, but it clearly costs more than artificial colorant
(Spears 1988).