March 2020 • Vol. 26 • Issue 3
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Phyto-complexes …by Giorgio Dell’Acqua
he quest for natural ingredients is growing alongside the increasing interest in phyto-cosmetics. Phyto in Greek means plant, so phyto-cosmetics are products based on natural plant extracts or containing predominantly ingredients derived from plants such as polyphenols, vitamins, etc. During my time working in ingredient development for the past 15 years, I have focused my attention on natural extracts, especially those rich in active molecules, preferably from the same chemical family.1,2 My grandfather introduced phyto-cosmetics in Italy in the early 1930s and I read some of his early publications. In particular, I was intrigued by how he described the power of ingredient families or phyto-complexes when compared to single ingredients from the same family. In the late 1950s, he published together with my uncle, at the time a young chemist in Milan, a paper on beta-carotene where he highlighted the capacity of carotenoids as a family to have a more powerful effect than single molecule beta-carotene on a series of skin benefits (beta carotene was used at the same concentration as the phyto-complex). We know that plants often mobilize different isoforms or variants of the same molecule to create a more effective and sophisticated response to a particular need. Molecule families are common and the different molecules within a family often work in synergy with each other. There is evidence that molecules belonging to the same family can protect each other against oxidation, thereby increasing the stability of the phyto-complex. It should be noted that phyto-complex is not a new definition or a new concept. However, renewed interest in using phytocomplexes in cosmetics requires understanding the importance of a multifactorial and synergistic approach when formulating a product. In the last 50 years, treatment of the skin has been based on a reductionist approach using single purified molecules (often compared to a plant extract with little efficacy). More recently, a comprehensive approach based on plant extract fractionation and enrichment has proven to be as effective as single molecules, and often more stable in finished formulations. Phyto-complexes are also the basis of modern aromatherapy, where complex composition of essential oils has been demonstrated to provide therapeutic values to treat conditions associated with diseases.3
Moreover, studies have shown that encapsulation of phytocomplexes provide an increase in wound healing efficacy.4 Interestingly, when single molecules were combined with their phyto-complex, the complex acted as an enhancer to increase molecule bioavailability, helping to stabilize the molecule itself.5 Numerous experiments have shown phyto-complexes to be superior to single molecules intended to reduce inflammation, autophagy, and apoptosis.4,5 For example, lycopene (a single carotenoid) is significantly inferior in antioxidant activity when compared to tomato seed phyto-complex.6,7 (continued on Page 3)
SKIN MICROBIOME: PERSPECTIVES ON AGING, COMPROMISED SKIN, AND COSMETICS M a r c h 1 2 t h • C h a r t H o u s e , We e h a w k e n , N J