Harnessing the potential of selected Himalayan species for phyto-cosmeceutical formulations guided through biochemometric analysis

The study aimed to biochemometrically guide the identification of nine selected Himalayan species with potential anti-ageing and bioactivity properties. The results demonstrated that the majority of the species exhibited strong UV shielding capabilities, particularly within the UV-C (180-280 nm) and UV-B (280-315 nm) spectral regions. In-vitro sun protection factor (SPF) assessment of the extract at 500 μg/mL revealed a comparable SPF value to that of the reference compound, epigallocatechin gallate (positive control). Notably, Berberis aristata exhibited the highest tyrosinase inhibitory activity (55.15 ± 0.99%) compared to the standard epigallocatechin gallate (48.14 ± 1.94%) at a fixed concentration (1.25 mg/ mL). Conversely, anti-hyaluronidase activity was higher in the positive control, epigallocatechin gallate (55.99 ± 0.54%), than in B. aristata (38.05 ± 0.15%). Antioxidant potential, as evaluated by free radical scavenging assays, indicated that the extracts of B. aristata, Rubus ellipticus, and Ficus auriculata demonstrated strong radical scavenging potential. Moreover, all the tested species, except for F. auriculata, exhibited over 50% protection against DNA damage, with Morus alba (74.55%), Thalictrum foliolosum (73.57%), and Tinospora cordifolia (68.50%) demonstrating the most significant protective activity. HPLC-PDA analysis revealed a total of thirteen bioactive compounds, with ascorbic acid and gallic acid being consistently detected across the studied species. Lastly, multivariate chemometric analysis identified B. aristata and F. auriculata as promising species, demonstrating synergistic DNA protective and significant inhibition of extracellular matrix-degrading enzymes, suggesting potential for phyto-cosmeceutical applications.