Vernonia cinerea Extract and Its Silver Nanoparticles in the Making of Indigenous Eyeliner: A Formulation and Evaluation Study

Background, Vernonia cinerea Less. (Asteraceae), known as “Poovaamkurunnel” in Malayalam and “Sahadevi” in Sanskrit, is a medicinally significant herb documented in Ayurvedic and other traditional medicine systems for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, and antioxidant activities, with specific ethnomedicinal application in eye care, including conjunctivitis and as an anti-cataract agent. The present study aimed at using green synthesis for making silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with the aqueous extract of Vernonia cinerea (Vc) to make VcAgNPs (Vernonia cinerea extract silver nanoparticles), and to incorporate these into an eyeliner formulation prepared by the indigenous burning method. VcAgNPs were characterized by standard physicochemical techniques. Antimicrobial activity of the extracts and finished products was evaluated against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P. The carbon soot obtained was additionally tested against these organisms and Candida albicans ATCC 2091. Microbial safety of the formulations was also assessed. Physical stability studies confirmed that all three eyeliner formulations maintained their properties over six months. The major finding was that although both the Vc and VcAgNPs fresh extracts demonstrated notable antimicrobial activity, the finished eyeliners showed no inhibitory activity against the tested organisms, consistent with the expected degradation of bioactive compounds during the high-temperature burning process. Conclusion, The formulated eyeliners were physically and microbiologically safe over the study period, though they did not retain measurable antimicrobial activity after processing. These preliminary findings suggest the traditional preparation method may compromise the extract’s bioactive properties, and further studies are needed to evaluate the formulation’s broader safety and any potential ophthalmic therapeutic benefit.