Phenolic compounds constitute a group of secondary metabolites which have important functions in plants. Besides the beneficial effects on the plant host, phenolic metabolites (polyphenols) exhibit a series of biological properties that influence the human in a health-promoting manner. Evidence suggests that people can benefit from plant phenolics obtained either by the diet or through skin application, because they can alleviate symptoms and inhibit the development of various skin disorders. Due to their natural origin and low toxicity, phenolic compounds are a promising tool in eliminating the causes and effects of skin aging, skin diseases, and skin damage, including wounds and burns. Polyphenols also act protectively and help prevent or attenuate the progression of certain skin disorders, both embarrassing minor problems (e.g., wrinkles, acne) or serious, potentially life-threatening diseases such as cancer. This paper reviews the latest reports on the potential therapy of skin disorders through treatment with phenolic compounds, considering mostly a single specific compound or a combination of compounds in a plant extract.

The Potential of Plant Phenolics in Prevention and Therapy of Skin Disorders

Background Cocoa Pod Husk (CPH) is the main by-product from the coca industry constituting 67–76% of the cocoa fruit weight. This waste represents an important, and challenging, economic, environmental renewable opportunity, since ten tons of wet CPH are generated for each ton of dry cocoa beans. Scope and approach This review highlights the value that can be added to this industrial co-product to generate new pharmaceutical, medical, nutraceuticals or functional food products. Key findings and conclusions The quality and functionality of cocoa pod husk (CPH) has being improving through processing (fermentation, enzymatic hydrolysis, and combustion, among others), guiding to their use as source of volatile fragrance compounds, lipase extraction, skin whitening, skin hydration and sun screening, ruminants’ food, vegetable gum, organic potash, antibacterial and nanoparticles synthesis with antioxidant and larvicidal activities. However, their exploration to produce high-value-added products, specially for the food industry, is limited as well as their potential health benefits. Cocoa pod husk, the main by-product from cacao industry (up to 76%), is an abundant, inexpensive, and renewable source of bioactive compounds like dietary fiber, pectin, antioxidant compounds, minerals and theobromine, justifying their valorization. This review highlights the value addition that can be achieved with this valuable industrial co-product to generate new pharmaceutical, medical, nutraceuticals or functional food products.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) pod husk: Renewable source of bioactive compounds

The present investigation reports utility of cocoa pod husk extract (CPHE), an agro-waste in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) under ambient condition. The synthesized CPHE-AgNPs were characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The feasibility of the CPHE-AgNPs as antimicrobial agent against some multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, paint additive, and their antioxidant and larvicidal activities were evaluated. CPHE-AgNPs were predominantly spherical (size range of 4–32 nm) with face-centered cubic phase and crystalline conformation pattern revealed by selected area electron diffraction, while EDX analysis showed the presence of silver as a prominent metal. The synthesized nanoparticles effectively inhibited multidrug-resistant isolates of Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli at a concentration of 40 µg/ml, and enhanced the activities of cefuroxime and ampicillin in synergistic manner at 42.9–100 % concentration, while it completely inhibited the growth of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger as additive in emulsion paint. The antioxidant activities of the CPHE-AgNPs were found to be excellent, while highly potent larvicidal activities against the larvae of Anopheles mosquito at 10–100 µg/ml concentration were observed. Our study demonstrated for the first time the utility of CPHE in the biosynthesis of CPHE-AgNPs with potential applications as antimicrobial and larvicidal agents, and paint additives for coating material surfaces to protect them against microbial growth while improving their shelf life.

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Cocoa pod husk extract-mediated biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles: its antimicrobial, antioxidant and larvicidal activities

Waste lubricating oil treatment by extraction and adsorption

The cacao pod husk (CPH) is the primary waste byproduct of the chocolate industry. One ton of cacao beans generate approximately ten times that amount of fresh CPH. The husk is rich in phenolic compounds. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of microwaves, hot air and freeze-drying on the phenolic compound content, antioxidant capacity, enzyme activity and microstructure of CPH. The results showed that fresh CPH contain 323.7 ± 26.5 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry mass (d.m.) of total phenolic compounds, and dehydration had a positive effect on the CPH phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Catechin, quercetin, and (−)-epicatechin and gallic, coumaric and protocatechuic acids were identified in fresh and dried CPH. Drying the material using a microwave and freeze-drying preserved the husk microstructure. The results showed that microwave drying was a better drying method than hot air and as good as freeze-drying. Industrial relevance The food industry is currently searching for new sources of natural antioxidants. The cacao pod husk (CPH) is a good source of phenolic compounds that can function as antioxidants and could be used as ingredients in functional foods. However, due to their high water content, fresh CPH are perishable products, and for this reason, the first step would be dry the pod husk to improve its shelf life. The findings of this study showed that the use of microwaves to dry CPH may release polyphenols, thereby enhancing the antioxidant capacity and decreasing the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity while maintaining the microstructure. Thus, microwave drying could be of interest as a method for enhancing the extractability of phenolic compounds from CPH.

Effects of microwaves, hot air and freeze-drying on the phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, enzyme activity and microstructure of cacao pod husks (Theobroma cacao L.)

Cocoa pod is an outer part of cocoa fruits being discarded during cocoa bean processing. Authors found out that data on its usage in literature as cosmetic materials was not recorded in vast. In this study, cocoa pod extract was investigated for its potential as a cosmetic ingredient. Cocoa pod extract (CPE) composition was accomplished using UHPLC. The antioxidant capacity were measured using scavenging assay of 1,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), β-carotene bleaching assay (BCB) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Inhibiting effect on skin degradation enzymes was carried out using elastase and collagenase assays. The skin whitening effect of CPE was determined based on mushroom tyrosinase assay and sun screening effect (UV-absorbance at 200-400 nm wavelength). LC-MS/MS data showed the presence of carboxylic acid, phenolic acid, fatty acid, flavonoids (flavonol and flavones), stilbenoids and terpenoids in CPE. Results for antioxidant activity exhibited that CPE possessed good antioxidant activity, based on the mechanism of the assays compared with ascorbic acid (AA) and standardized pine bark extract (PBE); DPPH: AA > CPE > PBE; FRAP: PBE > CPE > AA; and BCB: BHT > CPE > PBE. Cocoa pod extract showed better action against elastase and collagenase enzymes in comparison with PBE and AA. Higher inhibition towards tyrosinase enzyme was exhibited by CPE than kojic acid and AA, although lower than PBE. CPE induced proliferation when tested on human fibroblast cell at low concentration. CPE also exhibited a potential as UVB sunscreen despite its low performance as a UVA sunscreen agent. Therefore, the CPE has high potential as a cosmetic ingredient due to its anti-wrinkle, skin whitening, and sunscreen effects.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186%2F1472-6882-14-381.pdf

Phenolic composition, antioxidant, anti-wrinkles and tyrosinase inhibitory activities of cocoa pod extract

Fruit pods contain various beneficial compounds that have biological activities and can be used as a source of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. Although pods or pericarps are usually discarded when consuming the edible parts of fruits, they contain some compounds that exhibit biological activities after extraction. Most fruit pods included in this review contain polyphenolic components that can promote antioxidant effects on human health. Additionally, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and chemopreventive effects are associated with these fruit pod extracts. Besides polyphenolics, other compounds such as xanthones, carotenoids and saponins also exhibit health effects and can be potential sources of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical components. In this review, information on fruit pods or pericarp of Garcinia mangostana, Ceratonia siliqua, Moringa oleifera, Acacia nilotica, Sapindus rarak and Prosopis cineraria is presented and discussed with regard to their biological activity of the major compounds existing in them. The fruit pods of other ethno- botanical plants have also been reviewed. It can be concluded that although fruit pods are considered as being of no practical use and are often being thrown away, they nevertheless contain compounds that might be useful sources of nutraceutical and other pharmaceutical components.

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Fruit pod extracts as a source of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.

Objective: Cocoa pods are abundant waste materials of cocoa plantation, which are usually discarded onto plantation floors. However, due to poor plantation management, the discarded cocoa pods can create suitable breeding ground for Phytophthora palmivora, which is regarded as the causal agent of the black pod disease. On the other hand, cocoa pods potentially contain antioxidant compounds. Antioxidant compounds are related to the protection of skin from wrinkles and can be used as functional cosmetic ingredients. Therefore, in this study, cocoa pods were extracted and to be used as active ingredients for antiwrinkles. Methods: The active compounds in cocoa pod extracts (CPE) were screened using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Fibroblast cells were used to determine the effective concentration of CPE to maintain the viability for at least 50% of the cells (EC50). The gel was tested by 12 panelists to determine the efficacy of CPE in gel form using Visioscan to reduce skin wrinkles and improve skin condition. Results: CPE was detected to contain malic acid, procyanidin B1, rosmarinic acid, procyanidin C1, apigenin, and ellagic acid, all of which may contribute to functional cosmetic properties of CPE. The EC50 value of cocoa pod extracts was used to calculate the amount of CPE to be incorporated into gel so that the formulated product could reach an effective concentration of extract while being nonintoxicant to the skin cell. The results showed that CPE is potential ingredient to reduce wrinkles. Skin wrinkles reduced at 6.38 ± 1.23% with the application of the CPE gel within 3 weeks and significantly improved further (12.39 ± 1.59%) after 5 weeks. The skin hydration increased (3.181 ± 1.06%) after 3 weeks of the CPE gel application. Conclusion: Flavonoid compounds in CPE contributed to the functional cosmetic properties of CPE. The CPE which is nontoxic to skin cells help to reduce wrinkles on skin after 3 weeks of application. CPE can be used as the active ingredients in antiwrinkle products, and prolonged application may result in significant visual changes to the naked eyes.

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Efficacy of cocoa pod extract as antiwrinkle gel on human skin surface.

A study on the performance of a pilot scale operation of re-refining used lubricant oil via solvent-extraction process route was conducted to investigate its performance in comparison to the laboratory scale operation. Two dependent variables, namely the Percentage of Sludge Removal (PSR) and Percentage of Oil Loss (POL), were determined and analyzed as the key parameters in measuring the performance of the extraction process, for laboratory as well as pilot scale operations. The performance of the solvent-extraction process in pilot scale was analyzed by varying the solvent-to-oil ratio (SOR) and the amount of potassium hydroxide (KOH) addition, and the results were compared with the data collected from the laboratory scale operation. In addition, the physical properties of spent lubricant and recovered base oil were analyzed and compared between the two scales of operation. In view of the practicality and commercial aspect of the project, the used solvent from previous extraction process was recycled for consecutive run. Thus, the composition of the recovered solvent must be identified to understand its effect on the performance of the solvent-extraction process. Results from the study showed that, in general, the PSR and POL for laboratory and pilot scales operation revealed similar trend of curves, but with expectedly lower performance from the pilot scale study. The main reason of the lower performance from pilot scale operation was due to the change of composite solvents' composition during the solvent-recovery process, which dragged the solvent/oil mixture into the two phase region of the ternary phase diagram. This results in the dispersion of sludge during extraction process. Another factor, which contributed to the difference in the performance of the laboratory and pilot scale study, was the consolidation process. The process simulation, which was carried out for the pilot scale study showed suitability to represent the pilot scale operation, where the data generated from the simulation was acceptable, with percentage error of +lo%.

Azila Abdul Karim

Papers

Phenolic composition, antioxidant, anti-wrinkles and tyrosinase inhibitory activities of cocoa pod extract

Fruit pod extracts as a source of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.

Efficacy of cocoa pod extract as antiwrinkle gel on human skin surface.

Re-refining of base oil from spent lubricant : a comparative study between laboratory and pilot scale study