Mother Goose Special School System Inc.

Science High School

Samson Compound, Tapuac District, Dagupan City

Effect of Turmeric (Curcuma longa Zingiberaceae)

Cream Extract on Human Skin Sebum Secretion

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

Science Research IV

Arvin L. Cayabyab
Chelsea Lyca G. Romero
Josef Dale T. Vallo
IV - Einstein
December, 2016

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Curcuma longa, an upright perennial herb and a member of the Zingiberaceae
family, is a rhizome widely cultivated in Southeast Asia. Alternatively known as turmeric,
Curcuma longa is a source of bright yellow-orange culinary spice and dye and has
important medicinal and cultural uses (Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, 2016).
Turmeric rhizomes, specifically, have a very long history of medicinal use, dating
back nearly 4000 years ago (Prasad and Aggarwal, 2011). Its rhizomes have been
reported to contain curcuminoids compounds which possess physiological and
pharmacological activities (Zaman and Akhtar, 2013). A particular structural component
of curcuminoids are several aromatic ring structures collectively called curcumin. This
substance, which possess anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties,
is the most active ingredient of turmeric (Easton, 2016).
According to Zaman and Akhtar (2013), the use of turmeric extract as a cosmetic
or skin care product as both topical and oral preparations is effective. Furthermore, its use
was claimed to be potent in treating skin-aging induced by sun exposure, increased skin
thickness, reduction in skin elasticity, skin injury, and other problems.
Established topical cosmetic or skin care products particularly target the activity
of the skins sebaceous glands. These sebaceous glands, attached to hair follicles, secrete
an oily semi-fluid substance called sebum which provides various benefits such as
softening, lubricating, and repairing our hair and skin. (University of Michigan, 2016).

However, as skin pores and hair follicles become plugged with sebum due to
over-secretion dead skin cells, bacteria, and other debris can accumulate as well and
act upon sebum to produce irritating substances. These substances can result in the
inflammation of the skin resulting in the potential formation of comedones (whiteheads
and blackheads), pustules (pimples), or even severe cases of acne and cysts (University of
California SF, 2016).
Nowadays, most skin medications commercially sold in the market are more or
less, derived from synthetic or semi-synthetic substances. In addition, these types of
medications are rather quite expensive, adding to the financial burden of people with skin
diseases or irritating skin conditions.
Thus, this research was established to investigate on the effect of turmeric
rhizomes which are rich in anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial
compounds on human skin sebum secretions to gain knwoledge whether it may be
used as a medication for skin problems.

1.1. Objectives
The studys goal is to determine the effect (whether positive, negative, or none at all) of
Curcuma longa on human skin sebum secretions. To achieve this, the experiment is also
aimed at producing a safe topical cream extract. This will be done by mixing turmeric,
acetone, liquid paraffin oil, and ascorbic acid to create a cream which will subsequently
be refrigerated to improve its texture.

1.2. Statement of the Problem

This experimental research focuses on the determination of the effect of turmeric extract
cream on human skin sebum secretions. This study aims to answer the following
questions:
1. Is there a significant effect of Curcuma longa cream extract on human skin
sebum secretion?
2. Is there a significant difference between the Curcuma longa cream extract and
commercially sold PanOxyl (with benzoyl peroxide as the active ingredient) in
terms of:
a. Cost
b. Chemical composition
c. Acceptability

1.3. Hypotheses
The following are assumed answers on the formulated questions stated above.
Null Hypothesis (Ho)
There is no significant effect of Curcuma longa cream extract on human skin
sebum secretions and no significant difference between the Curcuma longa cream
extract and commercially sold PanOxyl in terms of cost, chemical composition,
and acceptability.

Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)

There is a significant effect of Curcuma longa cream extract on human skin
sebum secretions and a significant difference between the Curcuma longa cream
extract and commercially sold PanOxyl in terms of cost, chemical composition,
and acceptability.

1.4. Significance of the Study

Acne, medically known as Acne vulgaris, is a skin condition resulting from the
action of hormones and other substances on the skin's oil glands (sebaceous glands) and
hair follicles. It is one of the most common skin problems, affecting about 90% of all
people at some time during their life. While acne usually occurs in adolescence and
young adulthood, it may be troublesome well into the 20s, 30s and even 40s.
Myths about acne are common as the skin problem itself. One common myth is
that you have to let acne run its course which is not the best advice, according to
dermatologists. Without acne treatment, dark spots and permanent scars can appear on the
skin as the acne clears. This may lead to lowered self-esteem. Because there are many
available commercially sold anti-acne creams, acne can be easily treated.
However, most skin medications commercially sold in the market are more or
less, derived from synthetic or semi-synthetic substances. In addition, these types of
medications are rather quite expensive, adding to the financial burden of people with skin
diseases or irritating skin conditions. The significance of this study is that it aims to find a

cheaper and more available alterntative to anti-acne treatments by investigating the effect
of turmeric rhizomes on human skin sebum secretions.

1.5. Scope and Limitations

This particular research will only investigate on the effect of Curcuma longa
cream extract on human skin sebum secretions. At the end of this study, the researchers
will determine whether there is a positive effect, negative effect, or no effect at all. This
study will not inquire into the potency or efficiency of the extract.
This study would also only focused on producing a safe cream by mixing turmeric
powder, acetone, ascorbic acid, and liquid paraffin oil. In the experiment, Ceelin will be
serve as the ascorbic acid, and baby oil will serve as the liquid paraffin oil.

1.6. Definition of Terms

Acne, the occurrence of inflamed or infected sebaceous glands in the skin; in particular, a
condition characterized by red pimples on the face, prevalent chiefly among teenagers.

Extract, to separate or obtain from a mixture by distillation, treatment with solvents or

the like

Sebum, an oily secretion of the sebaceous glands.

Turmeric Powder, a bright yellow aromatic powder from the rhizome of Curcuma longa

1.7. Conceptual Paradigm

Input
Curcuma longa rhizome

Process
1.
Gathering of Curcuma longa rhizome
2.
Preparation of Materials
3.
Production of cream extract from Curcuma longa
4.
Treatment of experimental group with product
5.
Monitoring of skin sebum secretions
6. Determination of the effect of Curcuma longa on human sebum
7.
Assesment of results and conclusion

Output
Curcuma longa cream extract which
can regulate skin sebum secretions

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Hasten Healing
While there have been plenty of studies on the wound healing effects of turmeric
on animals, a new clinical trial has revealed that turmeric does indeed speed up the
healing process in human subjects as well.

In evaluating the healing of women who had recently undergone a caesarean

section, researchers divided participants into three groups: intervention with turmeric
cream, placebo, and control. The REEDA scale which stands for redness, edema ,
ecchymosis, discharge, and approximation was used to assess the severity of the postsurgical trauma. A low REEDA scores means that the wound is healing well.

The results of the study showed that women who were treated with turmeric after
7 days . (http://www.naturallivingideas.com/turmeric-for-skin/)

Correct Oily Skin

In order to prevent the skin from becoming too dry, oils and waxes are secreted by
the sebaceous glands. This helps the epidermis retain moisture while keeping the skin soft
and supple. Excessively oily skin, usually due to overactive sebaceous glands, can lead to
acne, cysts, and other woeful skin conditions.

To measure the effects of turmeric cream on oil production of the skin when
turmeric was applied twice daily. Over a period of three months, turmeric cream reduced
facial oils. The researchers noted this beneficial effect was likely because turmeric
contains fatty acids and phytosterols, which have been observed in other studies to reduce
excess skin oils. (http://www.naturallivingideas.com/turmeric-for-skin/)

Sun Damage Protection

Wearing sunscreen can help protect against sun damage, turmeric was shown to
prevent many of the adverse effects of exposure to ultraviolet B radiation. Using hairless
mice as test subjects, researchers exposed the rodents to long-term, low-dose UVB rays
and applied turmeric extract twice a day. Normally, chronic UVB light would cause skin
thickening, wrinkles, changes in skin pigmentation, larger blood vessels, and loss of
elasticity, but the mice suffered none of these ill effects. (http://
www.naturallivingideas.com/turmeric-for-skin/)

Skin Cancer Prevention

Curcumin has also been recognized as an impressive anti-cancer treatment, able to

selectively kill tumor cells while leaving the normal cells intact a feat that traditional
chemotherapy treatments are unable to accomplish. Moreover, it has been shown to stop
pre-cancer from becoming cancer.

The effects of curcumin extract therapy for the treatment of the three types of skin
cancer namely, melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma has
showed a lot of potential.

Curcumin was able to induce apoptosis or cell death in basal cell carcinoma.
Additionally, the study noted that curcumin acted as a chemopreventative for skin cancer,
effectively preventing cancer cells from forming. (http://www.naturallivingideas.com/
turmeric-for-skin)

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
3.1. Materials and Equipment Needed
Materials

Equipment

Distilled water

Beaker

Johnsons Baby Oil

Stirring Rod

Ground Turmeric Powder

Test tubes

Acetone

Empty clean plastic bottles

Ascorbic Acid (Ceelin

Towels

3.2. Preparation of Turmeric Extract

Curcuma longa were shade-dried and ground into powder, and 200 g extracted
with 1 L of acetone and the extract was stored at a 4 C in a refrigerator.
3.3 Evaluation of antioxidant property of turmeric extract
The antioxidant activity of the extract was determined and the contents were
mixed and incubated at 37 C for a period of 30 min. The absorbance was then measured
at 517 nm. Ascorbic acid was also added and the absorbance was also measured at 517
nm.

Pouring of acetone on ground turmeric powder

Boiling extract

Stirring of extract

Cooling down of extract

Thickened cream extract

Changing of color of the final cream extract

3.3. Formulation of Test Creams

To assess the effects of the plant extract on sebum secretion, creams of w/o type
were formulated. The oil phase of the first type comprised of paraffin oil and distilled
water in sufficient quantity to make up to volume. Dropwise addition of the aqueous
phase to the oil phase was done with constant stirring for 15 minutes and continued for
another 5 min. The speed was further reduced to 500 rpm and the homogenization
extended for 5 min. Control cream was similarly formulated except that no extract was
incorporated.

Pouring of final extract in bottle for

refrigeration

Pouring of final extract in bottle for

refrigeration

Final Curcuma longa cream extract

CHAPTER FOUR
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
This chapter describes the result of its data followed by a discussion of the research and
data were analyzed to identify, explore the relationship of the turmeric of other
chemicals.

Final Curcuma longa

cream extract applied on
hand

4.1. Antioxidant activity

The antioxidant or free radical scavenging activity of the extract was determined by using
the DPPH method and was found to be 88.5% of the standard.

4.2. Stability of the creams

During the one-month study period, no change in the color of the creams was seen, their
pH was within the range of normal skin pH (4 - 6), no electrical conductivity was
detected, but slight phase separation and liquefaction was observed on week 1 for the extract
cream and on week 2 for control at 40 oC / 75% RH.

Turmeric Extract

Appearance

Volume

Day 1

Brown

50ml

Day 5

Light brown

50ml

DAY 10

Light Orange

50ml

DAY 14

Orange

50ml

Since there is a change of Color, pH remained within normal physiological range of skin
pH, and liquefaction and phase separation was negligible during stability studies
therefore the formulation can be considered stable . The increase in sebum secretion after
application of control cream may be due to the oily nature of the cream, as paraffin oil
was used in the formulation which itself was oily in nature and can raise sebum values .
Previous studies have reported that the production of sebum is stimulated by androgens,
including testosterone. This hormone is metabolized to dihydrotes- tosterone in the skin
by the enzyme, 5- reductase, and the former is the more potent form of testosterone.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Qin NY, Yang FQ, Wang YT, Li SP. Quantitative determination of eight components in
rhizome (Jianghuang) and tuberous root (Yujin) of Curcuma longa using pressurized
liquid extraction and gas chromatographymass spectrometry. J Pharm Biomed Anal
2007; 43: 486492.
2. Paramasivam M, Poi R, Banerjee H, Bandyopadhyay A. High-performance thin layer
chromatographic method for quantitative determination of curcuminoids in Curcuma
longa germplasm. Food Chem 2009; 113: 640644.
3. Ramirez-Tortosa MC, Mesa MD, Aguilera MC, Quiles JL, Baro L, Ramirez-Tortosa
CL, Martinez-Victoria E, Gil A. Oral administration of a turmeric extract inhibits LDL
oxidation and has hypocholesterolemic effects in rabbits with experimental
atherosclerosis. Athero- sclerosis 1999; 147: 371378.
4. Maho, S, Y oshiyuki K. Effects of a turmeric extract (Curcuma longa) on chronic
ultraviolet B irradiation- induced skin damage in melanin-possessing hairless mice.
Phytomedicine 2009; 16: 11371143.
5. Aaron T, Robert MB. Nutritional Cosmetics: Beauty from stWithin. (1 ed.). New York:
Elsevier; 2009, pp 27-31. 6. Hristo D. Clinical and instrumental study of the efficacy of a
new sebum control cream. J Cosmet Dermatol 2007;6: 113118.

7. Giltay EJ, Gooren LJG. Effects of Sex Steroid Deprivation/Administration on Hair

Growth and Skin Sebum Production in Transsexual Males and Females. J Clin
Endocrinol Metab 2000; 85: 2913- 2921.
8. Shahiq UZ, Naveed A, Barkat AK, Tariq M, Akhtar R, Arshad M, Muhammad NA,
Atif A. Development of a sebum control cream from a local desert plant Capparis
decidua. J Med Plant Res 2012; 6: 744-78.
9. Rasul, A, Akhtar N, Khan BA, Mahmood T, Zaman SU, Khan HMS. Formulation
development of a cream containing fennel extract: in vivo evaluation for anti- aging
effects. Pharmazie 2012; 67: 54-58.
10. World Medical Association: Declaration of Helsinki. Available from: http://
www.wma.net/e/policy/pdf/17c.pdf (2008).
11. Joachim WF, Practical Aspects of Cosmetic Testing. (1ed.). Berlin: Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg; 2011, pp 15-25.
12. Naveed A, Shahiq UZ, Barkat AK, Haji MSK, Mahmood A, Fatima R, Tariq M,
Akhtar R. Evaluation of various functional skin parameters using a topical cream of
Calendula officinalis extract. Afr J Pharm Pharmaco 2011; 5: 199-206.
13. Seher G, Dilek T-B, Nazmi G. Antimicrobial activities and Some Fatty Acids of
Turmeric, Ginger Root and Linseed Used in the Treatment of Infectious Diseases. World
J Agric Sci 2006; 2: 439-442.

14. Shiyou L, Wei Y, Guangrui D, Ping W, Peiying Y, Bharat BA. Chemical Composition
and Product Quality Control of Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Pharmaceut Crops 2011; 2:
28-54.