Multidisciplinary Bioanalytical Approach to Assess the Anti-Aging Properties of Flower Petals—A Promising Sustainable Cosmetic Ingredient

The increasing demand for natural, safe, and sustainable ingredients is driving innovation in cosmetic science. This study assessed the anti-aging potential of 17 petal extracts using a multidisciplinary bioanalytical approach. In vitro spectrophotometric assays evaluated anti-wrinkle (anti-elastase), anti-pigmentation (anti-tyrosinase), and antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS) activities, while cytotoxicity was tested on HaCaT keratinocytes. Chemical profiling using HPTLC and UHPLC-MS/MS identified 17 phenolic compounds. For the first time, petals from prairie rose (<i>Rosa setigera Michx.</i>), common peony (<i>Paeonia officinalis</i> L.), horse-chestnut cultivars (<i>Aesculus hippocastanum</i> L., <i>Aesculus × carnea Zeyx.</i>), lilac (<i>Syringa vulgaris</i>), mock-orange (<i>Philadelphus pubescens Loisel</i>), orange lily (<i>Lilium bulbiferum</i> L.), garden tulip (<i>Tulipa gesneriana</i> L.), ivy geranium (<i>Pelargonium × peltatum</i> (L.) <i>L'Hér. ex Aiton</i>), and wallflower (<i>Erysimum × cheiri (L.) Crantz</i>) were studied for their skin anti-aging properties. Prairie rose, peony, and ivy geranium extracts showed strong anti-elastase activity; rose and peony also demonstrated high antioxidant potential, while lilac exhibited significant anti-tyrosinase effects. Key phenolic constituents-caffeic acid, <i>p</i>-coumaric acid, and gallic acid-were further examined via molecular docking, which confirmed their inhibitory properties by revealing inhibition mechanisms. All extracts were confirmed to be non-toxic in zebrafish acute toxicity assays at relevant concentrations. This integrative strategy effectively links chemical composition with biological activity, offering valuable insight into the development of safe, plant-derived anti-aging agents for sustainable cosmetic applications.