Liposomal Formulations to Improve Antioxidant Power of Myrtle Berry Extract for Potential Skin Application
Maria De Luca,
Daniela Lucchesi,
Carlo Ignazio Giovanni Tuberoso,
Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets,
Antonio Vassallo,
Giuseppe Martelli,
Anna Maria Fadda,
Laura Pucci,
Carla Caddeo
Affiliations
Maria De Luca
Department of Scienze, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Daniela Lucchesi
Section of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Piero Trivella, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Carlo Ignazio Giovanni Tuberoso
Department of Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, University of Cagliari, S.P. Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets
Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Antonio Vassallo
Department of Scienze, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Giuseppe Martelli
Department of Scienze, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Anna Maria Fadda
Department of Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Sezione di Scienze del Farmaco, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
Laura Pucci
Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, CNR Pisa, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Carla Caddeo
Department of Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Sezione di Scienze del Farmaco, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
Many substances in plant extracts are known for their biological activities. These substances act in different ways, exerting overall protective effects against many diseases, especially skin disorders. However, plant extracts’ health benefits are often limited by low bioavailability. To overcome these limitations, drug delivery systems can be employed. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant power of an ethanolic extract from Myrtus communis L. (myrtle) berries through colorimetric tests (DPPH and FRAP). The antioxidant activity was also verified by using fibroblast cell culture through cellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels measurements. Moreover, the myrtle extract was formulated in phospholipid vesicles to improve its bioavailability and applicability. Myrtle liposomes were characterized by size, surface charge, storage stability, and entrapment efficiency; visualized by using cryo-TEM images; and assayed for cytocompatibility and anti-ROS activity. Our results suggest that myrtle liposomes were cytocompatible and improved the extract’s antioxidant power in fibroblasts, suggesting a potential skin application for these formulations and confirming that nanotechnologies could be a valid tool to enhance plant extracts’ potentialities.
