CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF COSMETIC PRODUCTS CONTAINING CITRUS FLAVONOIDS

The main objective of the present work was a prospective valorisation of flavonoids extracted from lemon fruit peels (Citrus limon (L). Burm. f.), through a preliminary study of steps of extraction, analysis and synthesis of nano-ingredients for cosmetic applications. An optimised protocol was applied for the extraction of compounds of interest from the selected plant material. Special attention was given during this procedure to the variation of three experimental parameters, i.e.: DPPH free radicals scavenging activity (AA), total phenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The most active extracts were analysed by LC-DAD-MS². The chromatogram showed the presence of a major compound identified as hesperidin, which could be easily converted into its aglycone hespertin by acid hydrolysis. The third and last part of this work deals with the preparation of biocompatible polymeric nanoparticules which will be used for the encapsulation of molecules of interest. The experimental approach has focused on the encapsulation of hesperitin in PolyCaprolactone (PCL) nanoparticules and the study of size and morphological aspects using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and Laser particle size analyser. The main results showed that the obtained particles, with a mean size of 220 nm and a small dispersion, are compatible with dermal application.