The Study of the Antioxidant Activity and Skin Moisturizing Efficacy of Polysaccharides in Mung Bean Shell Extracts from Industrial By-Product

Natural products are gaining popularity in the cosmetics industry, especially those containing plant-based extracts with properties such as anti-inflammatory effects, antioxidant activity, skin hydration, and pollution protection. Many plant extracts show potential for development into dietary supplements or healthcare products. This study investigated polysaccharides extracted from mung bean (Vigna radiata) shells using a reflux extraction method at different times. The total sugar content was determined by the phenol-sulfuric acid colorimetric assay, along with antioxidant activity. The highest sugar content (52.28 mg/g) was obtained after 1 hour. Longer extraction times led to sugar loss compared to the xylose standard. The antioxidant capacity of the extract, evaluated using the DPPH free radical scavenging assay, showed an IC50 of 0.47 mg/mL, while ascorbic acid had an IC50 of 0.03 mg/mL. Moisturizing tests showed that the moisture absorption rate (Ra) and retention rate (Rh) were comparable to standard humectants such as chitosan, sodium hyaluronate, and sodium alginate. These findings indicate that mung bean polysaccharides possess antioxidant and moisturizing properties and have potential for further development into effective cosmetic and healthcare products, adding value to mung bean shells, which are typically discarded as industrial by-products.