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Bioscience Journal Original Article
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 35, n. 4, p. 1276-1289, May/June. 2019
http://dx.doi.org/10.14393/BJ-v35n4a2019-45086
EFFICACY OF GREEN ONION ROOT EXTRACT IN COSMETICS AND
SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
EFICÁCIA DO EXTRATO DE RAIZ DE CEBOLA VERDE EM COSMÉTICOS E
PRODUTOS DE CUIDADO DA PELE
Li Hsien CHEN
1
; I Chia CHEN
1
; Pei Yen CHEN
1
; Ping Hsin Huang
1
*
1. Department of Cosmetic Applications and Management, College of Cardinal Tien Junior College of Healthcare and Management.
*pshuang@ctcn.edu.tw
ABSTRACT: In this study, leftover roots of Sansing green onions grown without toxic chemicals in
Sansing Township, Ilan County, Taiwan were used as a raw material of skincare products. The raw material
was extracted from the green onion roots by ultrasound in a low-temperature, safe and pollution-free
environment. We hope to develop cleansers and other facial care products made of this natural,
environmentally friendly, safe and affordable raw material so that people with sensitive skin can also use these
products. We also hope that this study can contribute to circular economy and achieve the goal of green
innovation by recycling the leftover roots. In terms of anti-oxidation, the DPPH free radical scavenging ability
of 2.5 mg/mL green onion root extract was equivalent to 98% of that of 1 mg/mL BHT; the Fe
2+
chelating
ability was equivalent to 87.0% of that of 0.02 mg/mL EDTA; the superoxide anions scavenging ability of 2.5
mg/mL green onion root extract was equivalent to 84.2% of that of 1 mg/mL BHT and 80.4% of that of 0.05
mg/mL vitamin C. With respect to melanin synthesis inhibition, the green onion root extract's ability to inhibit
dopachrome, the intermediate product of melanin, was positively correlated to its concentration, i.e., the higher
the concentration of the green onion root extract, the better the inhibition ability. The IC
50
of green onion root
extract was 1.83 mg/mL, while, for comparison, the IC
50
of vitamin C was 0.62 mg/mL. Furthermore,
according to the cell survival assay, no obvious cytotoxic effect was found with the increase in the
concentration of the green onion root extract. The whitening effect improved after 30 days of test. The
improvement rate was 5.6% for 2.5 mg/mL green onion root extract, 3.1% for 1.25 mg/mL extract, and 1.7%
for 0.625 mg/mL extract. The moisture retention also improved after 30 days of test. The moisture retention
improvement rate was 22.7% for 2.5 mg/mL green onion root extract, 21.6% for 1.25 mg/mL extract, and
15.4% for 0.625 mg/mL extract. Based on the experiments, the green onion root extract obtained from
ultrasound not only did not cause skin allergy and irritation but also showed anti-aging, melanin synthesis
inhibition, whitening and moisture retention effects. The results showed that the green onion root extract can
improve the moisture retention and whitening effect of the mask.
KEYWORDS: Green Onion Root. Extraction. Circular Economy. Anti-oxidation. Anti-aging.
Whitening. Cosmetics.
INTRODUCTION
Green onion (scientific name: Allium
fistulosum) contains nutrients, such as minerals,
vitamin C, β-carotene and dietary fiber; 100 grams
of green onion contain 3.5 grams of dietary fiber,
making green onion a high-fiber vegetable (CHIOU,
2010; JIANG, 1992; KUNG, 2001; MURAI et al.,
1981; WU, 2010; YAMASAKI et al., 2000;
ZHONG, 1993). The epidermal cells of green onion
contain a large number of bactericidal allicin, malic
acid and phosphate sugar, while the prostaglandin it
contains can enhance blood circulation, help
perspiration and diuresis, prevent dizziness caused
by high blood pressure and help prevent dementia.
The pungent odor of green onions comes from
allicin, which is an antibacterial, bactericidal and
mucolytic volatile component (HSIAO, 2004;
HUANG, 1999; RAJU et al., 2007; JIANG, 1992;
CHEN, 1999; SU, 2003). The viscous colloidal
liquid squeezed from the stems of green onions is
able to repair and heal skin wounds. In East Asian
and Chinese regions, green onion is a common spice
or vegetable. It plays an important role in oriental
cooking, but only stems and leaves are consumed;
the roots are usually discarded (ZHONG, 1993;
HUANG, 2007; CHANG, 2011; HUANG, 2015).
The green onion roots contain protein,
carbohydrate, vitamin A, dietary fiber, and minerals,
such as phosphorus, iron, and magnesium. Green
onion roots were cooked in chicken soup by farmers
in Taiwan, or were applied to the skin to reduce
inflammation and swelling (GREATENS, et al.,
2005; HSU, 2012; LERNER, et al., 1950; LIN,
Received: 24/09/18
Accepted: 05/03/19
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2003; HSIAO, 2004; HSU, 2012; MAYER, et al.,
1986). It is a waste if the green onion roots are
discarded or composted. The objective of this study
was to explore whether we can make good use of
the highly nutritious leftover green onion roots.
The organic green onion roots were
obtained after several times of communication with
local green onion farmers and on-site visits, and
then they were extracted by ultrasonic low-
temperature extraction technology to generate the
organic green onion root extract. The anti-oxidation,
melanin removal, cytotoxicity, and whitening
effects of the green onion root extract were assessed
before we developed new skincare products by
adding the natural green onion root extract (Figure
1). We hope to make the green onion roots recycling
a step forward towards a green circular economy
and diverse agricultural development.
Figure 1. Development of biotech skincare products containing the green onion root extract
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Preparation of the green onion root extract
The raw material was the green onion roots
cut off from the green onions grown without toxic
chemicals in Sansing Township, Ilan County,
Taiwan. The usable roots were cleaned thoroughly
with deionized water before being soaked in alcohol
for three times, each time for three minutes. Next,
the green onion roots were dried at low temperature,
and then smashed to increase the area for
oscillation. Ethanol was added as a solvent before
the whole solution was oscillated by 40 kHz
ultrasound, which produced numerous tiny vacuum
bubbles in the medium. When the tiny vacuum
bubbles popped (cavitation effect), the resulting
impact enhanced the effect of extraction.
Because high-frequency and short-wave
length ultrasound has greater penetration power, it
allowed the extract to be fully mixed, which in turn
increased the extraction rate. The extraction rate was
33.8% after filtration, concentration and freeze-
drying.
DPPH free radical scavenging ability
The method was performed as described by
Yamaguchi et al., (1998). A mixture of 100 μL
green onion root extract, 400 μL of 100 mM Tris-
HCl buffer (pH=7.4) and 500 μL of 250 μM DPPH
free radical ethanol solution was well mixed in a
microcentrifuge tube before the tube was placed in a
25℃ thermostatic reactor for 20 minutes. Then, the
tube was transferred to a UV- Vis
spectrophotometer for measuring OD
517
of the
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solution. The procedure was repeated for three
times. The DPPH free radical scavenging rate is
calculated by the following formula:
DPPH free radical scavenging rate (%) = [1-
(OD
517
of sample/OD
517
of blank solution]
×100%
Fe
2+
chelating ability
The method was performed as described by
Dinis et al., (1994). First, add 0.1 mL green onion
root extract, 3.7 mL of 95% ethanol and 0.1 mL of 2
mM FeCl
2
‧
4H
2
O solution to a sample bottle, and let
the solution sit for 30 seconds at room temperature.
Then, add 0.2 mL of 5 mM ferrozine solution to the
same sample bottle, and let the solution react for 10
minutes at room temperature. Measure OD
562
of the
sample by the UV- Vis spectrophotometer. The
procedure was repeated for three times. The Fe
2+
chelating ability is calculated by the following
formula:
The Fe
2+
chelating ability (%) = [1-(OD562 of
sample/ OD562 of blank solution] ×100%
Superoxide anions scavenging ability (O
2
˙-)
The method was performed as described by
Fried et al., (1996). First, add 0.25 mL green onion
root extract and 1 mL mixture solution (a mixture of
100 μl of 10 μM PMS, 50 μl of 78 μM NADH and
100 μ of 50μM NBT with pH 7.4, 0.1 M phosphate
buffer to 1 mL) to a sample bottle, and then place
the sample bottle in a thermostatic water bath at
25℃ for 10 minutes. Next, add 0.25 mL of 1.2
units/mL xanthine oxidase to the bottle, and let the
solution react for two minutes in the 25℃
thermostatic water bath. Measure OD
532
of the
sample by the UV- Vis spectrophotometer (At).
Next, replace xanthine oxidase with 0.1 M Tris-HCl
buffer (pH=7.4), and then measure OD
532
of the
sample (A
1
). Then, replace the sample with DMSO,
and then measure the OD
532
of DMSO (A
b
). Finally,
replace the sample and xanthine oxidase with
DMSO and phosphate buffer solution, respectively,
and then measure OD
532
of the solution (A
0
). Use
vitamin C and BHT as positive reaction control
groups. The O2˙- scavenging rate is calculated by
the following formula:
O
2
˙- scavenging rate = [
(A
b
−
A
0
)
−
(A
t
−
A
1
)/(A
b
−
A
0
) ]×100
％
Melanin synthesis inhibition ability
The method was performed as described by
Lee et al., (1997). Well mix 1 mL of green onion
root extract, 0.9 mL of phosphate buffer solution
(pH = 6.8) and 1 mL of 0.03% tyrosine aqueous
solution in a sample bottle, and then place the bottle
in a thermostatic water bath at 37℃ for 10 minutes.
Next, add 0.1 mL of 350 units/mL tyrosinase to the
solution, and let the well-mixed solution react in the
thermostatic water bath for 25 minutes. Measure
OD
475
of the solution by the UV-Vis
spectrophotometer (A
t
). Then, replace tyrosinase
with phosphate buffer solution, and then measure
OD
475
of the solution (A
1
). Next, replace the green
onion root extract with deionized water, and then
measure OD
475
of the solution (A
b
). Finally, replace
the green onion root extract and tyrosinase with
distilled water and phosphate buffer solution,
respectively, and then measure OD
475
of the solution
(A
0
). The procedure was repeated for three times.
The dopachrome inhibition rate is calculated by the
following formula:
Dopachrome inhibition rate (%) =
[(A
b
−
A
0
)
−
(A
t
−
A
1
)/(A
b
−
A
0
)]×100%
IC
50
(50% inhibition concentration) is the
concentration of green onion root extract that
inhibits 50% of dopachrome synthesis. It was
obtained by a linear regression curve constructed
based on the dopachrome inhibition rate under
different concentration of the green onion root
extract.
Cell survival assay
The method was performed as described by
Kazuho et al., (1999). Cell survival assay is usually
performed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-
diphenyl- tetrazolium bromide (MTT). Therefore,
this assay is called MTT test or Tetrazolium assay.
MTT is a yellow water-soluble substance that can be
metabolized by dehydrogenase in mitochondria in
cells. The activity of dehydrogenase is positively
correlated with cellular respiration. Therefore, we
can measure cell activities by following this
principle. When the tetrazolium ring of MTT is cut
off by dehydrogenase, the MTT is reduced to purple
crystal formazan (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-
diphenyl-formazan), which accumulates in the cells.
Formazan is soluble in DMSO and its concentration
can be measured by a spectrophotometer at 570 nm.
The higher the cell survival rate is or the more the
cell number is, the more accumulated purple crystal
is. Therefore, MTT test is often used to assess the
cell survival rate. Five milligrams of 3-(4,5-
dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diph-enyl-tetrazolium
bromide (MTT) was dissolved in 1 mL sterile PBS
and filtered by a 0.45 μm membrane before it was
stored at 4°C. Mouse fibroblast 3T3 cells were
cultured in a 96-well plate (1 × 105 cells/0.1
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mL/well). After 24 hours, the old culture medium
was aspirated and culture media of different
concentration were added to the plate. After 24
hours of incubation, the old culture media were
aspirated. The cells were rinsed with PBS twice and
100 μL MTT (0.5 mg/mL) was added to the cells.
Then, the cells were incubated in a 37°C incubator
with 5% CO
2
for one hour. Finally, the old culture
medium was aspirated before 100 μL DMSO was
added to the culture, and then the culture was left
for 10 minutes. The absorbance of the culture was
measured by a spectrophotometer at 570nm.
Cell proliferation (%) = (O.D sample/O.D
control) × 100%
Whitening effect and moisture retention assay
(1) Instrument name: three-in-one skin analyzer
(SSC3);
(2) Brand: Courage-Khazaka Electronic Gmbh
(CK), Germany
(3) Test methods:
1. The protocol number of the Human
Research Ethics Committee for this
research: 201705ES002
2. Sampling: sample onion root extract
solutions of 2.50 mg/mL, 1.25% mg/mL,
0.625% mg/mL, 0.312 mg/mL and 0.156
mg/mL.
3. Test spots: forehead and cheek.
4. Test age/skin: 18 to 20 years old females.
5. Test environment: thermostatic indoor
temperature at 20℃.
6. Test area: the test areas were divided into
experimental area and control area. Right
side was an experimental area (for
cleansing mousse containing the green
onion root extract), and the left side was a
control area (for cleansing mousse without
the green onion root extract).
7. Application time: clean the entire face first.
After 30 minutes, apply the cleansing
mousse containing the green onion root
extract to 1 cm
2
skin area on the right side
of the face and add the cleansing mousse
without green onion root extract to 1 cm
2
skin area on the left side of the face. Wait
for 60minutes before testing.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
DPPH free radical scavenging ability of the green
onion root extract
DPPH free radicals are stable free radicals
containing odd number of electrons. When they are
combined with other free radicals or reduced by
antioxidants, DPPH free radicals are scavenged
(DPPH
．
+AH → DPPH-H + A
．
), and the color is
turned from purple to light yellow, which in turn
reduces the absorbance. The lower the absorbance
is, the stronger the sample’s DPPH free radical
scavenging ability is and the stronger the anti-
oxidation ability is. DPPH
．
ethanol solution has
very strong absorbance at 517 nm visible light.
Figure 2 shows the DPPH free radical
scavenging ability of green onion root extract on
DPPH free radicals. The DPPH free radical
scavenging ability of green onion root extract
increased as the concentration of green onion root
extract increased. The DPPH free radical scavenging
ability of 0.625 mg/mL green onion root extract was
18.9%, and that of 1.25 mg/mL and 2.5 mg/mL
green onion root extract was 30.4% and 48.6%,
respectively, about 98% of that of 1 mg/mL BHT.
Fe
2+
chelating ability
In addition to the formation of hydroxyl
radicals (˙OH) by Fenton reaction, the ferrous ions
(Fe
2+
) in the body also reacts with lipid peroxides
(LOOH), resulting in oxidative lipid free radicals
(LO˙). Therefore, substrates with iron chelating
ability can also act as antioxidant synergists.
Therefore, if the green onion root extract has iron
chelating activity, it can act as an antioxidant. Fe
2+
can form a complex with ferrozine, and the
maximum absorbance of such complex is at 562 nm.
The lower the absorbance is, the stronger the
sample’s Fe
2+
chelating ability is. Figure 3 shows
the green onion root extract’s chelating ability
against Fe
2+
. Such ability increased as the
concentration of the green onion root extract
increased. The Fe
2+
chelating ability of 2.5 mg/mL
green onion root extract was equivalent to 87.0% of
that of 0.02 mg/mL EDTA. However, further studies
are required to identify which component in the
green onion root extract relates to Fe
2+
chelating.
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Figure 2. DPPH free radical scavenging capacity of green onion root extract at different concentration and that
of 1 mg/mL BHT
Figure 3. Fe
2+
chelating ability of green onion root extract
Superoxide anion scavenging ability
In the process of in vivo metabolism, an
oxygen molecule forms a superoxide anion with an
electron through reduction reaction. The electron
transfer chain reaction taking place on the inner
mitochondrial membrane in the cytoplasm also
results in superoxide anion formation. These
processes give rise to O
2
˙- free radicals, which
damage human cells. Therefore, O
2
˙- scavenging
substrates can act as antioxidants to reduce
oxidative damage. The oxidation of xanthine by
xanthine oxidase generates O
2
˙-, which reduces
nitroblue tetrazolium in the reaction reagent to
formazan. The maximum absorbance of formazan is
at 532 nm. The lower the OD
532
value is, the better
the sample’s scavenging ability is. Figure 4 shows
the O
2
˙- scavenging ability of green onion root
extract. It increased as the concentration of green
onion root extract increased. The O
2
˙- scavenging
ability of 2.5 mg/mL green onion root extract was
equivalent to 84.2% of that of 1mg/mL BHT and
80.4% of that of 0.05 mg/mL Vit. C.
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Figure 4. O
2
˙- scavenging ability of green onion root extract
The ability of green onion root extract to inhibit
melanin synthesis
In the process of melanin synthesis, tyrosine
is turned into dopaquinone through the catalysis of
tyrosinase. Dopaquinone then forms melanin
through a series of reactions. Dopachrome is a more
stable intermediate in the process of melanin
synthesis, and its maximum absorbance is at 475
nm. The lower the OD
475
is, the better the sample’s
ability to inhibit melanin synthesis. Figure 5 shows
the inhibition of tyrosinase activity by the green
onion root extract. According to Figure 4, the green
onion root extract's ability to inhibit tyrosinase
activity increases with its concentration, i.e., they
are positively correlated, and the IC
50
was 1.83.
Mg/mL. Cu
2+
is a cofactor of tyrosinase. It catalyzes
the oxidation reaction of melanin synthesis. If the
sample has metal ion chelating ability, it can inhibit
melanin synthesis. According to the results of the
anti-oxidation test, the green onion root extract was
able to chelate metal irons. Therefore, we inferred
that the green onion root extract's ability to inhibit
dopachrome synthesis is related to its Cu
2+
chelating
ability.
Figure 5. The melanin synthesis inhibition ability of green onion root extract
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Cell survival assay of green onion root extract
MTT is a yellow water-soluble substrate
that can be reduced to blue-violet crystals by
dehydrogenase in mitochondria during cellular
respiration. The blue-violet crystals accumulating in
the cells can be dissolved by DMSO, and its
absorbance can be measured at 540 nm. The higher
the cell survival rate is, the more the blue-violet
crystals are produced and the higher the OD
540
value
is. In this study, the green onion root extract was
tested using the cell survival assay. The objective
was to observe whether the green onion root extract
is toxic to the cells. Figure 6 is the survival rate of
3T3 cells in the green onion root extract at different
concentration. The results indicated that there was
no obvious cytotoxic effect on the cells as the
concentration of the green onion root extract and
culture time increased.
Figure 6. Cytotoxicity of the green onion root extract
Assessment of moisturizing effect of green onion
root extract
The green onion root extract was diluted to
2.50 mg/mL, 1.25 mg/mL, 0.625 mg/mL, 0.312
mg/mL, and 0.156 mg/mL with distilled water. The
diluted solution at different concentration was
applied to 20 subjects for the moisture retention
assessment. The average values of the 20 subjects
are shown in Table 1, Figure 7 and Figure 8. The
moisture retention improvement rates after one hour
and 30 days of use are shown in Table 2 and Table
3, respectively.
Table 1. Green onion root extract moisture retention data of the experimental group and control group (average
values of 20 subjects)
Concentration (mg/mL)
After 1 hour of use After 30 days of use
Control Experimental Control Experimental
2.50 23.6 24.5 39.2 48.1
1.25 24.5 25.2 33.7 41.0
0.625 19.7 20.2 27.2 31.4
0.312 19.0 19.4 24.7 26.4
0.156 22.8 23.2 23.5 24.6
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Figure 7. Moisture retention effect of the green onion extract after one hour of use
Figure 8. Moisture retention effect of the green onion extract after 30 days of use
Table 2. Moisture retention improvement rate of the green onion root extract at different concentration after
one hour of use
Concentration
(mg/mL) 2.50 1.25 0.625 0.312 0.156
Improvement
rate (%) 3.38 2.86 2.53 2.11 1.75
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Table 3. Moisture retention improvement rate of the green onion root extract at different concentration after 30
days of use
Concentration
(mg/mL) 2.50 1.25 0.625 0.312 0.156
improvement
rate 22.7% 21.6% 15.4% 6.8% 4.7%
Assessment of whitening effect of the green onion
root extract
The green onion root extract was diluted to
2.50 mg/mL, 1.25% mg/mL, 0.625% mg/mL, 0.312
mg/mL, and 0.156 mg/mL with distilled water. The
diluted solution at different concentration was
applied to 20 subjects for the whitening effect
assessment. The average values of the 20 subjects
are shown in Table 4 and Figure 9. The whitening
effect improvement rates after 30 days of use are
shown in Table 5.
Table 4. Green onion root extract whitening effect data of the experimental group and the control group
(average values of 20 subjects)
Concentration (mg/mL)
After 30 days of use
Control Experimental
2.50 64.81 68.47
1.25 63.99 66.00
0.625 66.23 67.37
0.312 66.84 67.66
0.156 58.87 59.50
Figure 9. Whitening effect of the green onion root extract after 30 days of use
Table 5. Whitening effect improvement rate of the green onion root extract at different concentration after 30
days of use
Concentration (mg/mL) 2.50 1.25 0.625 0.312 0.156
Whitening effect
improvement rate (%) 5.6 3.1 1.7 1.2 1.1
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Formula design and product development
With the rise of environmental awareness,
many people have started to pay attention to the
safety of skincare products. We all have heard the
serious pollution and damage imposed upon the
environment by skincare products made of chemical
raw materials, such as environmental hormones.
Such skincare products also harm human body at
various degrees. Therefore, natural and
environmentally-friendly products are preferred by
consumers.
The above experiments confirmed that the
green onion root extract has whitening, moisturizing
and anti-aging effects and does not trigger cytotoxic
reactions and allergic reactions. Thus, it is suitable
to add the green onion root extract to cosmetics as a
raw material for skincare products. We have chosen
masks containing the green onion root extract as our
preliminary product, and are seeking a manufacturer
to develop the product with us through an industrial-
academic collaboration program to commercialize
the skincare product containing green onion root
extract.
Moisturizing and whitening mask with green
onion root extract:
First, the green onion root extract was added
to the formula of the moisturizing and whitening
masks. The masks were tried out by the research
team, students and their family. We adjusted the
formula for more than 20 times and compared the
formulas without the green onion root extract
(control group) with the formula containing 10%
green onion root extract (experimental group)
(Table 6), and then checked if there were any
differences in terms of whitening and moisturizing
effects after 30 days of use.
Table 6. Moisturizing and whitening mask formula containing the green onion root extract (control group:
without green onion root extract)
After 30 days of observation, the moisture
retention values of the 20 subjects are shown in
Table 7 and Figure 10, and the whitening effect
values are shown in Table 8 and Figure 10. After 30
days of use, the moisturizing and whitening mask
containing 10% of the green onion root extract was
able to improve the moisture retention rate and
whitening effect by 7.65% and 1.29%, respectively
(Table 8).
INCI Name
(%)
Water
TO 100
Allium fistulosum root extract(10%)
2
Glycerin
2
Propylene Glycol
2
Butylene Glycol
1.5
Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters
0.8
Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract
0.5
Panthenol
0.5
Glycereth-7
0.5
Phenoxyethanol
0.2
Saccharomyces Lysate Extract
0.1
Acrylates/ C10-30 Alkyl Acrylates Crosspolymer
0.1
Arginine
0.1
Sodium Hyaluronate
0.1
Allantoin
0.1
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
0.1
Xanthan Gum
0.08
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
0.08
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
0.08
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
0.05
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
0.03
Capryl glycol
0.018
Fragrance
0.005
Chlorphenesin
0.0012
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Table 7. Average moisture retention and whitening effect data after 30 days of use
Moisture
retention rate (%)
After 30 days of use
Whitening
effect (%)
After 30 days of use
Control Experimental Control Experimental
57.5 61.9 54.1 55.1
Figure 10. Moisture retention effect and whitening effect of the moisturizing and whitening mask containing
the green onion root extract
Table 8. Improvement rates for whitening effect and moisturizing retention after using the moisturizing and
whitening mask containing the green onion root extract
CONCLUSIONS
The above experimental results indicated
that the DPPH radical scavenging ability,
Fe
2+
chelating ability, superoxide anions scavenging
ability and melanin synthesis inhibition ability of
the green onion root extract can achieve more than
80% of that of BHT and vitamin C. Moreover, the
moisture retention effect and whitening effect were
improved by 22.7% and 5.6%, respectively, after 30
days of use.
The moisture retention effect and whitening
effect of the moisturizing and whitening mask were
improved significantly after the addition of the
green onion root extract. As a result, based on this
study, the green onion root extract can be added to
cosmetic formulas as a natural raw material for
skincare products.
This outcome can be added to teaching
materials of various courses, such as cosmetics
preparation, independent study, on-campus
internship, and can enhance the students' interests
and skills in cosmetics preparation and achieve the
effects of diverse learning. The teachers and
students will also fulfill their local social
responsibility, assist in innovation and development
of local industry and be pioneers of the University
Social Responsibility Project. The university can
also reuse the resource and make green life a reality
to develop green economy and implement
ecological concept.
RESUMO: Neste estudo, restos de raízes de cebolinhas Sansing, cultivadas sem produtos químicos
tóxicos no município de Sansing, Condado de Ilan, Taiwan, foram utilizadas como matéria-prima de produtos
para a pele. A matéria-prima foi extraída das raízes de cebolinha por ultrassom em um ambiente de baixa
temperatura, seguro e livre de poluição. Esperamos desenvolver produtos de limpeza e outros produtos para
cuidados faciais produzidos com essa matéria-prima natural, ecologicamente correta, segura e acessível, para
Improvement rate (%)
Moisture retention Whitening effect
7.65 1.29
1287
Efficacy of green... CHEN, L. H. et al.
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 35, n. 4, p. 1276-1289, July/Aug. 2019
que pessoas com pele sensível também possam usar esses produtos. Também esperamos que este estudo possa
contribuir para a economia circular e alcançar o objetivo da inovação ecológica, reciclando restos das raízes.
Em termos de anti-oxidação, a capacidade de sequestro do radical livre DPPH de 2,5 mg/mL de extrato de raiz
de cebolinha foi equivalente a 98% de 1 mg/mL de BHT; a capacidade quelante do Fe2+ foi equivalente a
87,0% de 0,02 mg/mL de EDTA; a capacidade de sequestro de ânions superóxidos de 2,5 mg/mL de extrato de
raiz de cebolinha foi equivalente a 84,2% de 1 mg/mL BHT e 80,4% de 0,05 mg/mL de vitamina C. No que diz
respeito à inibição da síntese de melanina, a capacidade do extrato de raiz de cebolinha de inibir o dopacrômio,
o metabolito intermediário de melanina, foi positivamente correlacionada com a sua concentração, ou seja,
quanto maior a concentração do extrato de raiz de cebolinha, maior a capacidade de inibição. O IC50 de extrato
de raiz de cebolinha foi de 1,83 mg/mL, enquanto que, por comparação, o IC50 de vitamina C foi de 0,62
mg/mL. Além disso, de acordo com o ensaio de sobrevivência celular, nenhum efeito citotóxico foi observado
com o aumento da concentração do extrato de raiz de cebolinha. O efeito de branqueamento melhora após 30
dias de ensaio. A melhoria foi de 5,6% para 2,5 mg/mL de extrato de raiz de cebolinha, 3,1% para 1,25 mg/mL
de extrato e 1,7% para 0,625 mg/mL de extrato. A retenção de umidade também melhorou depois de 30 dias de
teste. A taxa de melhoria de retenção de umidade foi de 22,7% para 2,5 mg/mL de extrato de raiz de cebolinha,
21,6% para 1,25 mg/mL de extrato, e 15,4% para 0,625 mg/mL de extrato.Com base nas experiências
efetuadas, o extrato de raiz de cebolinha obtida por ultrassom não só não causa alergia nem irritação da pele,
mas também demonstrou atividade anti-envelhecimento, inibição da síntese de melanina, capacidade de
branqueamento e retenção de umidade. Os resultados mostraram que o extrato de raiz de cebolinha pode
melhorar a retenção de umidade e efeito de branqueamento da máscara.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Raiz De Cebola Verde. Extração. Economia circular. Anti-oxidação Anti-
envelhecimento. Branqueamento. Cosméticos.
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