Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NaDES) have empowered Gattefossé to create eco-friendly natural solvents for cosmetics and plant extractions. Through extensive research, NaDES have yielded user-friendly, stable extracts with unique phytochemical content and enhanced biological efficacy compared to conventional extracts.
In recent years, the demand for natural cosmetics has surged in response to increased environmental awareness and consumer expectations. The cosmetics industry faces growing pressure to provide sustainable, naturally sourced raw materials. The principles of Green Chemistry, which aim to minimize waste and pollution while using renewable resources, have amplified the importance of sustainability.
Solvents play a crucial role in Green Chemistry
Gattefossé, a specialist in developing plant extracts for personal care applications, is leading the charge. To create these plant extracts, a suitable solvent is required—one that can dissolve and extract materials without altering their chemical composition. This is where NaDES come into play.
Gattefossé’s expertise centers on extracting secondary metabolites from plants, which are vital for a plant’s survival and possess significant biological activity potential. However, finding natural solvents with high extraction capabilities, devoid of regulatory or toxicological concerns, posed a challenge. The answer lay within the plants themselves.
Within plant cells, there exists an aqueous phase in the cytosol and an oily phase in the membrane. While this is ideal for dissolving primary metabolites, the challenge lies in the extraction of secondary metabolites with intermediate polarity. Collaborating with Pr R. Verpoorte, Gattefossé unveiled the NaDES technology—a novel type of solvent composed of mixtures of sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and bases in specific ratios. These NaDES can solubilize water-insoluble compounds and enable the biosynthesis of various beneficial plant compounds.
Scientific literature reports several stable NaDES, primarily comprising primary metabolites such as organic acids, amino acids, and sugars. These mixtures can replace conventional organic solvents due to their high extraction potential and stability. However, only a few NaDES can be employed in cosmetics due to safety and regulatory concerns.
Aligned with ecodesign principles
NaDES technology not only unlocks new phytochemical compounds but also aligns with eco-design principles by eliminating the need for purification and concentration steps to remove conventional solvents. These NaDES extracts offer naturalness, stability, safety, and extraction specificity, fostering innovation in creating highly effective and safer natural active ingredients.
However, NaDES extracts in liquid form come with certain drawbacks, including the need for suitable containers and potential instability. To address this, Gattefossé collaborated with an academic laboratory to explore the gelation of these liquid extracts using natural polysaccharides, as described in a recently published PhD thesis. The resulting gels demonstrated improved stability, opening new possibilities for preservative-free jellified supramolecular plant extracts.
In conclusion, NaDES technology, born from the fusion of biobased chemicals and water, offers a transformative path for plant extraction. These ready-to-use extracts not only expedite the discovery of skin health benefits but also hold promise for solid-like extracts without preservatives, making strides towards a more sustainable and innovative future.
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