Development and Characterization of Phytocosmetic Formulations with Saccharum officinarum

Saccharum officinarum L., Poaceae (sugarcane), occurs in tropical and subtropical areas of the planet, and Brazil stands out as the largest producer of sugar and ethanol from sugarcane. In addition, it is rich in phenolic substances, which have antioxidant potential, generating interest in its use in the cosmetic area. The objective of this work was to develop and characterize an emulsion and a nanoemulsion containing S. officinarum fraction. S. officinarum fraction was analyzed through liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-ESI-MS) analysis and in vitro cytotoxicity. The formulations were developed with 10% Tween™ 80, 8% diethylamino hydroxybenzoylhexylbenzoate, 10% octylmethoxycinnamate, 0.3% conserv™, 1% aristoflex™ AVC, 0.4% of S. officinarum fraction, and distilled water. The emulsion was developed by the fusion-emulsification method and nanoemulsion by processing on the Hielscher UP100H Ultrasound for 5 min. The macroscopic aspects, pH, viscosity, mean droplet size, and in vitro FPS were analyzed. Through LC-ESI-MS analysis, it was possible to verify the presence of phenolic substances in the composition of methanol fraction from sugarcane juice and the IC50 estimated was 21.08 ± 6.43 mg/ml. All formulations presented pH around 5. The emulsion, emulsion with S. officinarum fraction, nanoemulsion, and nanoemulsion with S. officinarum fraction showed a size of 1.68 ± 0.12 μm, 0.58 ± 0.08 μm, 222 ± 1.58 nm, and 195.0 ± 0.53 nm, respectively. The in vitro sun protection factor of the emulsion, emulsion with S. officinarum fraction, nanoemulsion, and nanoemulsion with S. officinarum fraction was 20 ± 5, 30 ± 3, 24 ± 2, and 35 ± 5.6, respectively. The UVA/UVB ratio of all formulations was moderate and presented λc of 370 nm, which is considered a broad-spectrum product. Substances with photoprotective potential can be found in tailings from the sugarcane industry, suggesting that it can be converted into raw materials or innovative cosmetic products.