The efficacy and application of animal and plant extracts

Posted by Lisa Clara on November 5th, 2019

Free radicals are atoms, molecules or groups in the outer orbital that contain unpaired electrons and are intermediate metabolites of many biochemical reactions in the life of aerobic organisms. Under normal circumstances, free radicals in the human body are in a dynamic equilibrium of constant generation and continuous elimination. If too much free radicals are generated or removed too little, excessive free radicals may cause oxidative stress on the cell tissues, causing oxidative damage to the body, and possibly It causes many diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, tumors, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and the like. As the most important source of human-derived antioxidants, plants have received increasing attention and many achievements in antioxidant research and development. At present, most of the plant antioxidant research is concentrated in Chinese herbal medicines, spices, vegetables, fruits, plant drinks and grains. The antioxidant active components of plant extracts mainly include polyphenols, vitamins, alkaloids, saponins, polysaccharides, peptides and the like.

Mushrooms are highly recognized foods, but people don't know much about mushroom extracts. In recent years, the use of several different varieties of mushroom extracts is gradually increasing, and the product form is mainly composed of preparations and powder processed products.

Studies have found that "MD fractionation" in mushroom extract has a tumor effect. With the deepening of research, various effects such as mushroom extract improving hyperlipidemia and inhibiting cell molecularization have also been confirmed, and are increasingly applied to health foods. At present, although there is no particularly hot market sales of such products, they have formed a relatively stable market.

Both high-end and low-end cosmetics incorporate natural plant and animal extracts into the formula, and some products even add more than three kinds of natural animal and plant extracts. It can be seen that hyaluronic acid, seaweed extract, aloe and various Chinese herbal extracts are common functional additives. Moisturizing, whitening and anti-inflammatory are the goals that most cosmetics want to achieve. It should be noted that natural animal and plant extracts have their special chemical properties, so cosmetic formulators must not only strictly consider the amount of additives, the temperature of addition, but also must pay attention to the compatibility when adding various natural extracts.

The efficacy of several natural animal extracts is listed below, most of which have been used in cosmetic formulations. Hyaluronic acid has been used for a long time since it was applied to cosmetics in the 1980s. It is still an important moisturizer in cosmetics and plays an outstanding role. Hyaluronic acid is a mucopolysaccharide in animal tissues to maintain the moisture of the scalp and skin. It is an ideal natural moisturizing factor. When a skin care product containing hyaluronic acid is applied to the skin surface, hyaluronic acid can form a layer of viscoelastic hydrated film, moisturizing the stratum corneum, maintaining and enhancing the water absorption capacity and barrier function of the stratum corneum itself, and promoting skin to skin care products. Absorption of other active nutrients prevents dry skin, delays and prevents skin aging.

Honey extract is rich in amino acids, oligosaccharides (glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose), organic acids (lactic acid, gluconic acid) and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. Its components are very close to the natural moisturizing factor NMF of human skin. It has better moisture regulation and hygroscopicity, enhances the water absorption of the skin's stratum corneum, and effectively regulates the water balance in the skin to ensure the best hydration rate of the keratin. Honey extract can directly participate in the hydration of the stratum corneum, soften the stratum corneum, restore elasticity and softness, and improve skin roughness.