Centaurea pumilio L. extract and nanoparticles: A candidate for healthy skin

Abstract

Centaurea pumilio was the subject of phytochemical and biological studies, and its extract was used in the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry allowed the tentative identification of twenty-nine phytoconstituents of C. pumilio methanolic extract (CME), while column chromatography led to the identification of eight phenolic compounds. The neutral red uptake method showed the safety of CME and AgNPs on skin cells (HaCaT cell lines), while their high antioxidant potentials were demonstrated based on their oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and these results were confirmed in vivo. Additionally, CME and AgNPs had promising abilities to retard the ageing process and combat dark spots by potently inhibiting collagenase, elastase and tyrosinase, in addition to antimicrobial activity against skin infection-causing strains, especially Staphylococcus aureus, which was further confirmed by the significant phagocytic activity of neutrophils via engulfment. This study presents C. pumilio as a candidate for healthy skin.

Keywords: Anti-ageing; Centaurea; Nanoparticles; Phenolics.