Antioxidant and photoprotective properties of Flacourtia indica fruit extract:fractionation, and application in lipstick formulation

Abstract

Flacourtia indica, known as Ugurassa in Sri Lanka, iswidely recognized for its ethnomedicinal applications.Despite its traditional use, scientific studies on itsantioxidant and photoprotective properties remainlimited. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidantand photoprotective properties of F. indica fruitextract, perform sequential fractionation to identifybioactive fractions and incorporate a suitable bioactivefraction into a lipstick formulation to develop a herbalmultifunctional lipstick. Chemical constituents indried fruit powder were extracted by maceration usinghexane, acetone, ethanol:water (80%v/v), and methanol.The highest extraction efficiency (12.13%) was obtainedwith ethanol:water (80%v/v). The total phenoliccontent (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) inethanol: water (80%v/v) extract were determinedusing Folin–Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride assays,respectively, yielding 21.10 ± 0.01 mg GAE/g and 34.70± 2.20 mg CE/g. Antioxidant potential was assessedusing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicalscavenging (IC₅₀ = 782.94 ± 12.61 μg/mL) and ferricreducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (0.348 ± 0.008mg BHT/g) assays. The photoprotective propertywas evaluated by determining the sun protectionfactor (SPF) spectrophotometrically with the Mansurequation, which indicated moderate UV protection(17.19 ± 1.63). Sequential fractionation of the extractwas performed using hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate,and methanol. SPF evaluation showed notable valuesfor the hexane (30.85 ± 2.84), chloroform (17.19 ±1.63), and methanol (15.99 ± 0.65) fractions. Themethanol fraction exhibited the highest antioxidantactivity (DPPH, IC₅₀ = 296.50 ± 2.27 μg/mL). As themethanolic fraction was red and exhibited antioxidantand photoprotective properties, it was incorporatedinto a lipstick formulation. The developed lipstickformulation was evaluated for color (dark red), texture(smooth), pH (5.6), melting point (53 ºC), and skincompatibility (no skin irritation), confirming itssuitability according to the Bureau of Indian Standards9875:2018 guidelines for application, contingent uponthe completion of toxicity studies.