Propriedades antioxidantes, fotoprotetoras e antimicrobianas de formulações cosméticas com apitoxina

Abstract

Apitoxin, the venom of bees of the genus Apis, is a complex of bioactive substances known for their anti-inflammatory, healing, antioxidant, photoprotective and antimicrobial properties. This study developed and evaluated cosmetic formulations with different concentrations of apitoxin (0.5%, 0.75% and 1%) to explore their potential therapeutic effects and stability. The apitoxin was obtained from an apiary in Cascavel and kept refrigerated until the formulations were prepared. To evaluate the stability of the formulations, the instructions of the Cosmetic Stability Guide of the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) were followed and the centrifugation test, thermal stress, organoleptic evaluation and physicochemical evaluation were performed. The formulations were subjected to antimicrobial tests by disk diffusion, evaluation of the photoprotective activity was calculated by the sun protection factor (SPF) obtained through the observed absorbance of each sample and finally, the antioxidant activity of the samples was evaluated by the photocolorimetric method using the free radical DPPH. The samples containing 0.5% and 0.75% of apitoxin presented sun protection factors (SPF) of 691 and 623, respectively, suggesting a potential for protection against UVB radiation. In the antimicrobial evaluation, no relevant activity of the formulations against strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was observed. The antioxidant efficacy indicated a promising profile. Thus, apitoxin shows potential as an active ingredient in cosmetics, especially for its antioxidant and UVB protection properties, highlighting the importance of natural ingredients due to the lower risk of adverse effects and sustainability, aligning with market trends and ANVISA regulations.