Innovation in Cosmetic and Medical Science. The role of Chitin Nanofibrils Composites

Abstract

The main substrate of interest in cosmetic dermatology are hair, covered with hard keratin-scales, and skin Stratum Corneum (SC), being with corneocytes the outermost cell layer of the skin. Both, directly exposed to onslaught of pro-oxidative stressors and composed of dead cells filled with specific type of lipids and cross-linked proteins in the form of alpha-helix structure, represent the barrier of our body to the environment. The barrier function of both skin and hair depends, therefore, on the physicochemical properties of corneocytes and scales, which by their lipid-keratin structures, regulate and interchange water loss, oxygen and carbon dioxide, modulating the penetration of active ingredients and preventing the entrance of pathogenic microorganisms. While the skin lipid structure consists predominantly of ceramides (~50%) connected with fatty acids and cholesterol, the hair epicuticle membrane (scale) contains highly cross linked proteins (~75%) and adsorbed fatty acids (~25%), 18-methyleicosanoic acid (18-MEA) being the most abundant. In addition, skin and hair are equipped with a network of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant system, that counteract the oxidative injury. An imbalance of this complex structure leads to modifications of DNA, lipids, and proteins, resulting in loss of functionality of the barrier key components of both hair and skin. As a consequence, skin wrinkling appears and hair lose luster and alignment, decreasing its thickness and combability. The challenge of cosmetic dermatology is to produce effective and safeness cosmetic products capable to modulate both the keratin-lipid production and the antioxidant synthesis at level of skin and hair. These innovative products should slowdown skin wrinkling formation and ameliorate structure and function of the hair, giving the body a more younger appearance. For obtaining these results it is necessary to develop topical systems capable to deliver the right concentration of the right active ingredient to the right site in the body in the right period of time (4 R's),without disrupting the respective protective structures, but having the capability to stimulate the synthesis of both skin extra cellular matrix (ECM) and hair cortex components. These results have to be produced by a low consume of water and energy and by the use of green raw materials extract, for example, from fishery's waste, as Chitin Nanofibrils, and plant biomass, as lignocellulosic compounds. Thus, natural material, and biodiversity of our planet will be preserved. In this paper innovative products realized by two EU research projects Biomimetic (www.biomimetic-EU-project.eu) and n-Chitopack (www.n-Chitopack.eu) will be presented and discussed. These products, made by the use of biopolymers such as Chitin Nanofibrils (CN), Lignin (LN) and Polylactic acid (PLA), are in accordance with the incoming Bio-green economy supported by EU and UNEP. The use of these biopolymers, is, in fact, necessary to reduce the production of the actual petrol-derived polymers and stop the plastic waste in the land and in the oceans where 5 trillion pieces afloating, have been recovered, ranging a weight of over 250,000 tons. Finally it is to underline that this plastic waste causes the death of ~1 million bird and ~100,000 seamammals every year, so that scientists, opinion leaders and politic people worldwide have to work all together to solve this important problem!