Nades extractives from Laurus nobilis leaves: synergic functionalities and skin efficacy

Laurus nobilis L., is widely grown as an ornamental plant, as a high-value spice crop, and for flavour and fragrance industry. It can be used in natural medicine and cosmetic products due to antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory effects and for its pleasant scent. This study aimed to apply NADES (natural deep eutectic solvents) extraction on Laurus leaves, to obtain a natural, ready-to-use cosmetic ingredient, with synergistic antioxidant, antimicrobial functionalities, and olfactive properties. Different eutectic systems were assed as NADES solvents and the extract obtained with a mixture of Betaine/Glycerin/Lactic acid was selected as the most promising cosmetic ready-to-use ingredient. The NADES complex contains a meaningful amount of phenolic compounds and shoiws a very good radical scavenging properties, antimicrobial activity on different gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains. Moreover, it discloses a pleasant fragrance due to the extraction of characteristic volatile compounds, confirmed by the GC-MS analysis. The combined properties were successfully tested on volunteers to verify the anti-acne activity of the extract through image acquisition and data analysis. The results showed a significant improvement in skin condition in just 3 days; the full test lasted 28 days with a second check after 28 days of treatment.