Sustainable Extraction of Prospective Cosmetic Ingredients from Colombian Marine Macroalgae Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents

What if the next anti-aging cream comes from seaweed and a sugar-based solvent? A new study shows that natural deep eutectic solvents can unlock valuable compounds from Caribbean macroalgae, offering a greener path to cosmetics.

The ocean is a treasure trove of bioactive compounds, and Colombian Caribbean macroalgae are no exception. Researchers collected 12 samples of these marine plants and set out to extract phenolic compounds and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs)—both prized in cosmetics for their antioxidant and UV-protective properties.

Instead of relying on harsh traditional solvents, the team turned to natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs), a new class of green solvents made from natural ingredients like betaine and glucose. They prepared several NADESs, measured their viscosity, surface tension, pH, and conductivity, and compared their extraction efficiency against water.

While a 5% hydrochloric acid solution extracted the most phenolic compounds overall, the NADES mixture of betaine, glucose, and water (1:1:5 molar ratio) emerged as the best among the green solvents. Notably, Sargassum cf. ramifolium and Sargassum fluitans yielded the highest phenolic contents with NADES—29.2 and 21.9 mg GAE/g dry weight, respectively.

MAAs were easily detected in several samples using a simple water and ultrasound extraction followed by UV spectral scanning, and then identified by HPLC-DAD. This study demonstrates that NADESs are a viable, eco-friendly alternative for extracting valuable cosmetic ingredients from marine macroalgae, potentially reducing the environmental footprint of the beauty industry.

Key Points

• NADES outperformed water for phenolic extraction from seaweed.
• Sargassum species yielded highest phenolic content with NADES.
• MAAs detected easily via water-ultrasound and UV scanning.