FORMULATION OF RED FRUIT OIL NANOEMULSION USING SUCROSE PALMITATE

Objective: Red fruit (Pandanus conoideus) is an endemic plant in the Papua region, Indonesia, and is reported to be very rich in carotenoids (pro-vitamin A), tocopherols (vitamin E), and unsaturated fatty acids. This study aimed to formulate the red fruit oil nanoemulsion in the forms of cream and gel, with sucrose palmitate as the emulsifying agent for topical application to the skin. Methods: Nanoemulsion was prepared by brute force method using Ultra-Turrax homogenizer as a high-speed mixer. Analyzis of the zeta potential, Polydispersity Index (PDI), particle size, and storage stability of the nanoemulsion cream and gel were also carried out. Results: Red fruit oil nanoemulsion had pseudoplastic flow properties, a pH of 4.81, a spherical shape, an average particle size of 103.07±1.31 nm, and a PDI of 0.229±0.02. The nanoemulsion cream had plastic flow properties, a pH of 6.45, an average particle size of 391.53±1.31 nm, and a PDI value of 0.701±0.01. The nanoemulsion gel had plastic flow properties, a pH of 5.83, an average particle size of 143.7±3.57 nm, and a PDI value of 0.221±0.03. Antioxidant activities of the cream and gel were determined using 2.2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Inhibition of 50% concentrations (IC50) for cream and gel were 6.14 and 48.85, respectively. Conclusion: The best red fruit oil nanoemulsion formula contained 10% of surfactant-cosurfactant mix (Smix) composition with a ratio of 9:1. Both the nanoemulsion cream and gel remained physically stable after 12 weeks of storage at three different temperatures, cycling, and centrifugation tests.