Controlled Release of Mahaad Extract Using Span 80 Co-Loaded on a Dendritic Fibrous Silica

Abstract

Mahaad (Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb.) is a plant variety that can be found in Southern and Eastern Asia. Its extract contains a major component, oxyresveratrol (ORES), and a minority component, resveratrol (RES), both of which are important cosmetic compounds with antioxidant and skin-brightening properties. However, both ORES and RES are easily degraded by light, heat, and oxygen, making proper storage necessary for effective use in cosmetics. In this study, dendritic fibrous silica was selected as the carrier to protect the active compounds due to its high porosity and surface area with a unique open pore structure, as well as its low toxicity. The synthesized silica was characterized using various techniques, including SEM, FE-SEM, XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, and FTIR. The synthesized silica had a particle size, specific surface area, pore size, and pore volume of 500-600 nm, 703 m2/g, 6.21 nm, and 1.09 cm3/g, respectively. The Mahaad extract was co-loaded with Span 80, a non-ionic surfactant widely used in cosmetics in different ratios on KCC-1. The FTIR results confirmed successful loading of Mahaad and surfactant onto the KCC-1 carrier, and we observed that the release rate of Mahaad decreased with an increase in the Span 80-to-drug ratio. These findings suggest that co-loading Span 80 with the drug on a silica surface can provide a controlled and tunable drug release rate that is desirable for cosmetic applications.