Formulation and evaluation of palm oil as micro and nanoemulsion / Khubaib Azahari

Prized for its broad industrial application, Malaysian palm oil dominates the world market for palm oil and its derivatives. Palm oil unique composition means it is versatile in its application in cosmetical and pharmaceutical industry. Palm oil is natural occurring oil containing some of the antioxidant vitamin E constituents, tocopherols and tocotrienols. These natural antioxidants can act as scavengers of oxygen free radicals and are hypothesized to play a protective role in cellular aging. Nanoemulsions using palm oil as dispersed phase could enhance the pharmacological activity of the oil, through external application. In this study, nanoemulsion with single oil containing 15% of palm oil as disperse phase were prepared using lecithin (I - 1.5%), Carbopol®934 (0.4%), Tween®80 (1 - 3%), Euxyl®K100 (0.1%) and Euxyl®K400 (0.05%). The emulsification methods used for the formation of nano­ particles were hand homogeniser and high pressure homogeniser. Both of the methods were carried out in order to obtain nanoemulsions with a small and narrow droplet size. The physical characteristics and stability of the nanoemulsions were studied. Properties such as visual aspect, particle size analysis, viscosity and pH were analysed at pre-determined time intervals (0, 1,7, 14, 21, 28 days). It was followed by an assessment of stability via accelerated stability studies using dispersion analyser. Finally, panel’s acceptance studies were carried out in 20 human volunteers with basis on sensorial tests. In conclusion, nanoemulsions formed by 15% palm oil, 1.5% lecithin, 3% Tweentk80, Carbopol®934 (0.4%), Euxyl®K100 (0.1%) and Euxyl® K400 (0.05%) provided the best formulation in the study. From the sensorial test, the previous formulation showed a good acceptance in terms of colour, texture, oily capability and hydration. However, improvements on the lotion odour should be carried out to improve the panel’s acceptance.