Abstract
The rational design of emulsions requires study of the main factors that influence their formation, physicochemical properties and, consequently, stability and performance. The use of vegetable oils in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries has recently become attractive. Dipteryx alata Vogel (D. alata) is an oleaginous species native to Brazil. The seeds of this species contain highly unsaturated oil with significant amounts of tocopherols and phytosterols, representing an important source of agents capable of combatting oxidative processes. In this work, a lamellar gel phase emulsion using oil extracted from the seeds of D. alata (baru) was developed. The steps involved in the development of this research were as follows: 1) development of formulations and 2) in vitro assays by simulating the evaporation of the final product after application to the skin and Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) of fatty acid spin labels was used to investigate the profile of interaction of the dispersed systems with stratum corneum (SC) lipids. The results indicate that the developed system shows no signs of instability during the storage period. Moreover, EPR studies indicated that D. alata oil and especially the developed formulation were able to increase SC lipid fluidity and extract a fatty-acid spin label from the lipid domain structures of SC, demonstrating its potential to act as a drug or skin care vehicle.