Upcycled Cocoa Pod Husk: A Sustainable Source of Phenol and Polyphenol Ingredients for Skin Hydration, Whitening, and Anti-Aging
<i>Theobroma cacao</i> L. (cocoa) pod husk, a byproduct of the chocolate industry, has potential for commercial applications due to its bioactive compounds. This study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition, biological activity, and clinical efficacy of a standardized extract....
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2025-07-01
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| author | Aknarin Anatachodwanit Setinee Chanpirom Thapakorn Tree-Udom Sunsiri Kitthaweesinpoon Sudarat Jiamphun Ongon Aryuwat Cholpisut Tantapakul Maria Pilar Vinardell Tawanun Sripisut |
| author_facet | Aknarin Anatachodwanit Setinee Chanpirom Thapakorn Tree-Udom Sunsiri Kitthaweesinpoon Sudarat Jiamphun Ongon Aryuwat Cholpisut Tantapakul Maria Pilar Vinardell Tawanun Sripisut |
| author_sort | Aknarin Anatachodwanit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Theobroma cacao</i> L. (cocoa) pod husk, a byproduct of the chocolate industry, has potential for commercial applications due to its bioactive compounds. This study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition, biological activity, and clinical efficacy of a standardized extract. This study compared 80% ethanol (CE) and 80% ethanol acidified (CEA) as extraction solvents. The result indicated that CEA yielded higher total phenolic content (170.98 ± 7.41 mg GAE/g extract) and total flavonoid content (3.91 ± 0.27 mg QE/g extract) than CE. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) identified various phenolic and flavonoid compounds. CEA demonstrated stronger anti-oxidant (IC<sub>50</sub> = 5.83 ± 0.11 μg/mL in the DPPH assay and 234.17 ± 4.01 mg AAE/g extract in the FRAP assay) compared to CE. Additionally, CEA exhibited anti-tyrosinase (IC<sub>50</sub> = 9.51 ± 0.01 mg/mL), anti-glycation (IC<sub>50</sub> = 62.32 ± 0.18 µg/mL), and anti-collagenase (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.43 ± 0.01 mg/mL), nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory (IC<sub>50</sub> = 62.68 μg/mL) activities, without causing toxicity to cells. A formulated lotion containing CEA (0.01–1.0% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) demonstrated stability over six heating–cooling cycles. A clinical study with 30 volunteers showed no skin irritation. The 1.0% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i> formulation (F4) improved skin hydration (+52.48%), reduced transepidermal water loss (−7.73%), and decreased melanin index (−9.10%) after 4 weeks of application. These findings suggest cocoa pod husk extract as a promising active ingredient for skin hydrating and lightening formulation. Nevertheless, further long-term studies are necessary to evaluate its efficacy in anti-aging treatments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9bed23fa557949b381a7ff20d49b74e5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-9bed23fa557949b381a7ff20d49b74e52025-08-20T03:58:30ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292025-07-01157112610.3390/life15071126Upcycled Cocoa Pod Husk: A Sustainable Source of Phenol and Polyphenol Ingredients for Skin Hydration, Whitening, and Anti-AgingAknarin Anatachodwanit0Setinee Chanpirom1Thapakorn Tree-Udom2Sunsiri Kitthaweesinpoon3Sudarat Jiamphun4Ongon Aryuwat5Cholpisut Tantapakul6Maria Pilar Vinardell7Tawanun Sripisut8Cosmetics for Beauty and Wellness Research Unit, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, ThailandCosmetics for Beauty and Wellness Research Unit, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, ThailandCosmetics for Beauty and Wellness Research Unit, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, ThailandSchool of Cosmetic Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, ThailandSchool of Cosmetic Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, ThailandSchool of Cosmetic Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, ThailandSchool of Science, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, ThailandDepartament de Bioquimica i Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmacia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, SpainCosmetics for Beauty and Wellness Research Unit, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand<i>Theobroma cacao</i> L. (cocoa) pod husk, a byproduct of the chocolate industry, has potential for commercial applications due to its bioactive compounds. This study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition, biological activity, and clinical efficacy of a standardized extract. This study compared 80% ethanol (CE) and 80% ethanol acidified (CEA) as extraction solvents. The result indicated that CEA yielded higher total phenolic content (170.98 ± 7.41 mg GAE/g extract) and total flavonoid content (3.91 ± 0.27 mg QE/g extract) than CE. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) identified various phenolic and flavonoid compounds. CEA demonstrated stronger anti-oxidant (IC<sub>50</sub> = 5.83 ± 0.11 μg/mL in the DPPH assay and 234.17 ± 4.01 mg AAE/g extract in the FRAP assay) compared to CE. Additionally, CEA exhibited anti-tyrosinase (IC<sub>50</sub> = 9.51 ± 0.01 mg/mL), anti-glycation (IC<sub>50</sub> = 62.32 ± 0.18 µg/mL), and anti-collagenase (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.43 ± 0.01 mg/mL), nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory (IC<sub>50</sub> = 62.68 μg/mL) activities, without causing toxicity to cells. A formulated lotion containing CEA (0.01–1.0% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) demonstrated stability over six heating–cooling cycles. A clinical study with 30 volunteers showed no skin irritation. The 1.0% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i> formulation (F4) improved skin hydration (+52.48%), reduced transepidermal water loss (−7.73%), and decreased melanin index (−9.10%) after 4 weeks of application. These findings suggest cocoa pod husk extract as a promising active ingredient for skin hydrating and lightening formulation. Nevertheless, further long-term studies are necessary to evaluate its efficacy in anti-aging treatments.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/7/1126cocoa pod husk<i>Theobroma cacao</i> L.phenolhydrationwhiteninganti-aging |
| spellingShingle | Aknarin Anatachodwanit Setinee Chanpirom Thapakorn Tree-Udom Sunsiri Kitthaweesinpoon Sudarat Jiamphun Ongon Aryuwat Cholpisut Tantapakul Maria Pilar Vinardell Tawanun Sripisut Upcycled Cocoa Pod Husk: A Sustainable Source of Phenol and Polyphenol Ingredients for Skin Hydration, Whitening, and Anti-Aging Life cocoa pod husk <i>Theobroma cacao</i> L. phenol hydration whitening anti-aging |
| title | Upcycled Cocoa Pod Husk: A Sustainable Source of Phenol and Polyphenol Ingredients for Skin Hydration, Whitening, and Anti-Aging |
| title_full | Upcycled Cocoa Pod Husk: A Sustainable Source of Phenol and Polyphenol Ingredients for Skin Hydration, Whitening, and Anti-Aging |
| title_fullStr | Upcycled Cocoa Pod Husk: A Sustainable Source of Phenol and Polyphenol Ingredients for Skin Hydration, Whitening, and Anti-Aging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Upcycled Cocoa Pod Husk: A Sustainable Source of Phenol and Polyphenol Ingredients for Skin Hydration, Whitening, and Anti-Aging |
| title_short | Upcycled Cocoa Pod Husk: A Sustainable Source of Phenol and Polyphenol Ingredients for Skin Hydration, Whitening, and Anti-Aging |
| title_sort | upcycled cocoa pod husk a sustainable source of phenol and polyphenol ingredients for skin hydration whitening and anti aging |
| topic | cocoa pod husk <i>Theobroma cacao</i> L. phenol hydration whitening anti-aging |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/7/1126 |
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