Safety, functionality and stability tests of Ecklonia cava extract for dermal application

Abstract

Ecklonia cava demonstrated anti-Propionibacterium acnes and anti-inflammatory activity, without any serious toxic effect, at moderate doses in an in vitro study. However, there has been no in vivo study on dermal application of E. cava extract. We evaluated the safety, functionality, and stability of a cosmetic containing E. cava extract for dermal administration. A cytotoxicity assay revealed no inhibitory effects on cell viability in a mouse leukemic monocyte macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) after incubation with 100 μg/mL of the E. cava acetone fraction (ECAF) for 24 h. The anti-P. acnes activity of ECAF was not affected by any significant variation in temperature, pH, or exposure to artificial UV light or natural sunlight. ECAF also showed negative reactions in a patch test. No change in appearance, color, or odor was observed in a stability test on an emulsion product with ECAF. On the basis of these results, it is expected that ECAF will be a very useful or applicable raw material for skin goods such as cosmetics for treating or improving acne. ? 2014, Korean Society of Environmental Risk Assessment and Health Science and Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.