Anti-wrinkle and Antioxidant Effects of Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) Water Extract as a Functional Ingredient of Cosmetics

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the potential of elderflower (<i>Sambucus nigra</i>) water extract (SNE) as a cosmetic material by evaluating its anti-wrinkle, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects.Methods: We determined the antioxidant effect of SNE by measuring its 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical–scavenging and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity and determined the anti-wrinkle effect of SNE by measuring its elastase inhibition activity. In addition, we assayed the viability of B16-F10 mouse melanoma and CCD-986sk human dermal fibroblast cells in the presence of SNE.Results: SNE showed a DPPH radical–scavenging activity of 77%, 76.4%, and 75.2% at a concentration of 1000, 500, and 250 μg/mL, respectively, and SOD-like activity of 78%, 70%, and 66% at a concentration of 200, 100, and 50 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, 500 μg/mL of SNE exhibited 48% elastase inhibition activity. Furthermore, B16-F10 cells showed a viability of 118%, 115%, and 109% when treated with 200, 100, and 50 μg/mL of SNE, respectively, and CCD-986sk cells showed high cell viability when treated with 200, 100, and 50 μg/mL of SNE.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that SNE has excellent antioxidant and anti-wrinkle effects, confirming its high applicability as a functional cosmetic material.