Chapter Three - Dermocosmetic applications of microalgal pigments

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Abstract

Among photosynthetic microorganisms, Cyanobacteria and Microalgae species have been highly studied thank to their high value-added compounds for several industrial applications. Thus, their production is increasing in the last decade to produce raw material for cosmetics. In fact, the daily routine includes the use of cosmetics and sunscreens to protect against the environmental changes, mainly the increment of ultraviolet (UV) radiation rate with a consequent skin damage and premature aging due to this overexposure. As it is well discussed, chemical UV filters are extensively incorporated into sunscreens formulas; however, they can induce allergenic reactions as well. For these reasons, some pigments derived from microalgae, such as astaxanthin, lutein, β-carotene as well as other biocompounds are now well described in the literature as well as biotechnologically manufactured as natural ingredients to be incorporated into skin care products with multifunctional benefits even for sunscreen purposes. Hence, this investigation summarizes the recent studies about the main pigments from photosynthetic microorganisms' biomasses as well as their uses in dermocosmetics with novel attributes, such as anti-aging agents, makeups, skin lightening and whitening, among others.

Introduction

Creating and maintaining beauty is a big challenge and the main objective of Cosmetic Science, and concomitantly, bringing health to humankind. Since health was well-defined by World Health Organization (WHO) like “a dynamic state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” we remark that Cosmetic Science was developed to aid humanity live a healthy life in their specific society by using cosmetic products, which must contain natural derived compounds as recent appeal. Thus, as a brief abstract about the development of techniques in such science, cosmetic efficacy was assessed by some physical methods, e.g., Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) as well as by evaluating on skin not only the viscoelasticity but also the superficial hydration. However, some other novel methods have been recently described with the association of genetic engineering and biochemical technologies (Hosoi, Koyama, & Ozawa, 2017).

In contrast, a request for natural functional components for food improved the microalgae industrial production with their concomitant incorporation into functional aliments (Bolanho et al., 2014; Priyadarshani & Rath, 2012). Hence, microalgal species and other marine derived-compounds are now considered as novel cosmetic ingredients that have been recently described in commercialized nutraceutical products for healthcare, claiming antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-mutagenic properties (Sathasivam & Ki, 2018).

Nowadays, sustainable raw materials derived from natural resources are also an increasing appeal in cosmetic industry. Thus, microalgae have emerged as a good alternative of novel biocompounds with interesting biological activities for cosmetics (Ariede et al., 2017). For instance, we can mention the following microalgae derived-compounds: proteins, peptides, amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), pigments (carotenoids, phycobiliproteins, and chlorophylls), vitamins, carbohydrates, polyphenols, and unusual phytosterols (Levasseur, Perré, & Pozzobon, 2020). Such variety of compounds can be also used in other several industries. Particularly, pigments are proper regulated in food, animal feed, and nutraceuticals (Novoveská et al., 2019) and even have been recently described as ingredients in dermocosmetics (Morocho-Jácome, Cezare-Gomes, et al., 2020; Morocho-Jácome, Ruscinc, et al., 2020).

Abruptly, COVID-19 pandemic has harmfully hit all economies worldwide. Since the unique combat measures, such as quarantines as well as complete lockdowns to diminish the contamination risk, became the worst impact on many kind of industries, e.g. the algae production. Thus, Haematococcus pluvialis market has been decreased in sales in the first semester of 2020 due to the known disturbance in logistics and transportation. Furthermore, the entire value chain of such sector has been interrupted, i.e. the raw materials supply for culture media to produce, package, and distribute the final products. Indeed, H. pluvialis market may reach $148.1 million by 2027 because the natural astaxanthin (AX) demand for nutraceutical products is increasing to produce natural food colorants. Also, it is expected to generate more opportunities in the H. pluvialis market for aquaculture and even in poultry (Meticulousresearch, 2020a). However, it is important to consider the higher manufacture cost of AX derived from H. pluvialis biomass than the synthetic one (Panis & Carreon, 2016). Fortunately, Chlorella global market was also estimated to reach about $195.3 million by 2027 in a recent report developed by the European Algae Biomass Association (EABA) due to the increment of consumers preferences concerning a protein-rich diet, to enhance health with a simultaneous growth in the nutraceutical industry as well as vegetarianism (Meticulousresearch, 2020b).

Additionally, a modern bioeconomy could be developed with photosynthetic microorganisms industrial production due to the almost unlimited possibilities by their metabolic flexibility with high biomass production (Carvalho, Matsudo, Bezerra, Ferreira-Camargo, & Sato, 2014; Morocho-Jácome, Sato, Guimarães, Camargo de Jesus, & Carvalho, 2016), even in detrimental conditions, such as lack of nitrogen (Avila-León, Matsudo, Ferreira-Camargo, Rodrigues-Ract, & Carvalho, 2020), wastewater (Lu et al., 2020) or using gases from industrial processes (Ferreira, Rodrigues, Converti, Sato, & Carvalho, 2012). Thus, the increasing microalgal impact in some relevant profitable activities, such as manufacture of food, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics was compiled in a recent publication (Fernández et al., 2021).

Hence, the aim of this investigation is to recapitulate the cosmetic applications of the main photosynthetic microorganisms' biomasses as well as to enhance our understanding about their main biocompounds in dermocosmetics. For this reason, after the introduction, we explain the main cosmetic effects followed by the correspondent microorganisms recently described as well as some pigments with potential cosmetic application. Finally, we provide information about not only novel skincare products, but also its potential use in cosmetic industries.

Section snippets

Main cosmetic effects

Cosmetic products improved their purpose to become essential formulas for skin care. The most common skin problems, such as stains, wrinkles, and even aging could be treated with specific cosmetics daily routine. Moreover, understanding both the skin structure and its physiological functions using biochemical as well as anatomical knowledge is required to confirm these cosmetic effects. Since the nomenclature have induced to debated opinions about the real differences between cosmetics and

Photosynthetic microorganisms in skincare products

Microalgae and Cyanobacteria were cultivated under extreme environmental conditions, such as high UV radiation as well as high salinity (Avila-León et al., 2020; Cezare-Gomes et al., 2019). Their biomasses derived from different cultivation systems, environmental and nutritional conditions can produce an extensive variety of high value-added compounds to enhance the quality of food as well as cosmetics and even with health purposes. Thus, many reviews that remark the health benefits of

Main pigments

Carotenoids structures include not only 40-carbon polyene chain backbone but also cyclic groups. There are two main carotenoid categories: xanthophylls and carotenes. The oxycarotenoids known as xanthophylls have as main representatives the following pigments: AX, fucoxanthin, and lutein. Thus, oxygen can be present as oxo-groups in canthaxanthin, as OH groups in lutein, or as a combination of both in AX. Natural carotenoids have only carbon, hydrogen or oxygen directly attached to the carbon

Skin care products

Skin care is considered the frequent exercise of being cautious with the skin by cleaning, maintaining, protecting, and even improving its unbalanced conditions until reaching homeostasis. Thus, many cosmetic types are formulated and industrialized to offer these characteristics. There are traditional product types to clean facial skin, such as liquid or gel cleansers, cream-type cleansers, and the traditional bar soaps, which contains surfactants that aid the removal of undesired materials

Potential application of microalgal derived pigments in the cosmetic market

Even when Microalgae are studied as natural resources of many active biocompounds, such as polysaccharides, PUFAs, proteins and pigments (phycocyanin, AX, lutein, and phycoerythrin, among others), the production of pigments from microalgae cultivation with further extraction is reported as expensive procedure (Cezare-Gomes et al., 2019). For instance, the cost of natural production and extraction of AX from H. pluvialis biomass was higher than the synthetic one (Panis & Carreon, 2016).

Indeed,

Perspectives and conclusions

The demand for environmentally sustainable microalgae derived products is still growing in the global market. With this purpose, the industrial production of pigments from microalgae are focused on food, feed and cosmetic segments (e.g., natural dyes, eyeshadows, soaps, creams, lipsticks, lotions, and even sunscreens). Thus, skincare is one of the most promising microalgae claim, being the use of some typical microalgal genera, such as Chlorella, Arthrospira, and Haematococcus more known and

Acknowledgments

Authors are greatly thankful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico–Brazil (CNPq, Process 305250/2019-1). This study was also financed in part by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior–Brazil (CAPES, Finance Code 001 and Programa Nacional de Pós-Doutorado, PNPD).

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