The condition of scalp is worsened by various factors, such as sebum hypersecretion, virulence factor from microbial metabolite, reactive oxygen species, and stress hormone. In the present study, we investigated the effect of Nymphaea caerulea flower extract (NCFE) on scalp condition. NCFE inhibited the sebum production in sebocytes and suppressed the lipase activity of Malassezia furfur (M. furfur) Lipid metabolites and virulence factors from M. furfur. are known to cause scalp itch and irritation. NCFE inhibited M. furfur.-induced mast cell degranulation and histamine and β-hexosaminidase secretion. Increased the levels of cortisol and vascular permeability are associated with hair loss. NCFE decreased the cortisol production by inhibiting the 11β-HSD activity and alleviated vascular permeability. These results demonstrate that NCFE can be a good candidate for improving scalp condition through inhibiting sebum hypersecretion, inflammatory responses induced by virulence factors, cortisol level and vascular permeability.

This study aims to investigate the anti-acne efficacy of the plant extract complex (PEC) consisting of Camellia sinensis L. leaf and Castanea crenata bur extract in vitro. The effect of PEC on anti-acne target including sebum production, Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes)-induced inflammation, 5-alpha reductase activity and free radical scavenging activity was observed. The level of lipid production was measured through nile red staining in sebocytes to confirm the effectiveness of inhibiting sebum production, and C. acnes cultured medium (C. acnes CM) were treated on HEK293-hTLR2 cells to observe TLR2 activity. In addition, regulation of 5-alpha reductase activity was confirmed using rat liver microsomes, and antioxidant capacity was measured by DPPH assay. As a result, PEC showed the inhibitory effect on sebum production up to 59.02±5.13% at 100 μg/mL and the C. acnes CM with PEC treated group dramatically inhibited the TLR2 activity as much as the control level. At 100 μg/mL of the PEC, the activity of 5-alpha reductase enzyme activity was suppressed by about 20% compared to the group treated with rat microsomes, and the radical scavenging capacity was measured at 86.83±10.19. These results suggest that PEC, a complex extract of Camellia sinensis L. leaf and Castanea crenata bur, can be used as natural cosmetic raw materials that can relieve acne through inhibition of excessive sebum production, reduction of 5-alpha reductase activity, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

: Propolis is a sticky resinous substance that is formed by the combination of honeybee secretions and resin of plants, which serves to protect from bacteria and viruses. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of propolis extract from Korea (KPE), China (CPE), and Brazil (BPE) through antioxidant, antibacterial, whitening, and anti-inflammatory tests, and to examine their potential as cosmetic materials. KPE, CPE, and BPE showed significant antioxidant activities on flavonoid/polyphenol content and free radical scavenging activity. The antibacterial effect of propolis on skin flora was determined by measuring the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). KPE showed better antibacterial efficacy than CPE and BPE in C. acnes (KPE, CPE, and BPE: (62.5, 250, and 500) µ g/mL, respectively). Furthermore, KPE inhibited the melanin synthesis in human epidermal melanocytes and production of nitric oxide and PGE 2 induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mouse macrophages, which showed better than did CPE or BPE. Taken together, the propolis extracts can be applied to antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory ingredient for cosmetics, while KPE showed superior potential in antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and whitening efficacies.