Microencapsulated Myrciaria cauliflora Berg. fruit peel extract as a natural pigment for neutralizing shampoo preparation

Abstract

Hair is a complex natural fiber consisting mainly of keratin that can be divided into four main structural units, namely: cuticle, cortex, medulla, and membrane complex. The use of pigments in hair care preparations, mainly derivatives of aromatic amines, has been a topic of discussion due to toxicity and ecotoxicity concerns. In this background, Myrciaria cauliflora Berg is a native fruit occurring from northeastern to southern Brazil. Among the diversity of compounds detected in this fruit species are bioactive flavonoids and anthocyanins, which are responsible for the purple pigmentation of the fruit peels. This study reports on the use of a microencapsulated Myrciaria cauliflora Berg. peel extract as a temporary pigment to reduce the yellow tone of the hair. The extract was obtained by maceration with 70% ethanol (v/v) in an acidic milieu (6.0% citric acid). The extract was submitted to phytochemical profiling and a shampoo formulation was developed and applied onto a chemically treated hair. The preliminary characterization of the extract confirmed the presence of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, in addition to the acid/base character of the extract. When tested on discolored hair samples with a yellow tone, the Myrciaria cauliflora Berg. shampoo reduced the yellow color, which was visually perceived by the enhancement of the hair brightness. These results demonstrate the potential of M. cauliflora extract – obtained from a fruit widely found in Brazil, as a temporary pigment to be used in cosmetic hair care.

Keywords

• anthocyanins, myrciaria cauliflora, shampoo, phytocosmetic