Construction of a permeation-promoting repair emulsion based on gum arabic/β-cyclodextrin microencapsulation stabilized peony seed oil and investigation of its mechanism for photodamage repair

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.151056

Abstract

Ultraviolet radiation is recognized as the primary cause of skin photodamage. Although peony seed oil, rich in bioactive components, exhibits significant photoprotective effects, its highly unsaturated nature renders it susceptible to oxidative degradation, thereby limiting its practical application. In this study, we employed spray-drying technology with gum arabic/β-cyclodextrin as the composite wall material to construct peony seed oil microcapsules. This approach achieved an encapsulation efficiency of 87.46 ± 0.92% and an oil-loading rate of 38.51 ± 0.19%,and demonstrated excellent sustained-release performance. These microcapsules are physically combined, approximately spherical in shape, and exhibit good thermal stability, effectively protecting the unsaturated fatty acids in peony seed oil from oxidative degradation, thereby solving the stability problem. When these microcapsules were dispersed in an emulsion, the resulting formulation exhibited physical and chemical properties conforming to relevant cosmetic standards. It demonstrates remarkable antioxidant activity, along with good skin permeability and long-term retention. In the UVB-induced photodamaged HaCaT cell model, this emulsion significantly inhibited the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell apoptosis. Specifically, it increased cell viability from 54.75% ± 1.53% to 92.69 ± 1.59%, thereby demonstrating excellent photodamage repair capability. Animal experiments further showed that the formulation repaired 95.56 ± 1.62% of UVB-damaged skin within 7 days, alleviated the inflammatory response, and restored epidermal thickness and collagen deposition. Its mechanism is related to regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway, down-regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and matrix metalloproteinases. In conclusion, this study provides a novel approach for the application of peony seed oil in skin photodamage repair.