Development of Multiple Emulsions Containing Corn Husk Extracts for Cosmetic Applications

Corn (Zea mays) is a widely used agricultural crop in various industries such as food, animal feed, biofuels, and cosmetics. However, corn processing often generates a large amount of agricultural waste, especially corn husks. This research aims to prepare a corn husk extract using ultrasonic extraction techniques to develop a multiple emulsion formulation. A high-energy method was employed to enhance the stability and efficacy of active compounds in the corn husk extract. Experiments showed that the extraction of corn husks using distilled water as a solvent for 1 h yielded an extraction rate of 2.43%. For antioxidant activity, the extract exhibited a FRAP value of 1.62 ± 0.01 mM Fe2+/mg, comparable to ascorbic acid. The ABTS free radical scavenging percentage was 99.24%, comparable to that of ascorbic acid, and the chelating activity was 25.61%. The extract was then incorporated into water-in-oil nanoemulsions. The most stable formulation consisted of a 20% (2.3 w/w%) corn husk extract solution, a surfactant mixture of Tween 80 and Span80 (24.9 w/w%), and olive oil (72.8 w/w%). The physical properties of the formulation showed a droplet size of 21.63 ± 1.04 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.31 ± 0.02, and an encapsulation efficiency of 94.20 ± 0.50%, confirming good encapsulation performance. The extract was then mixed into multiple emulsions. The most stable formulation consisted of a nanoemulsion containing a 20% (20 w/w%) solution of corn husk extract, a mixed surfactant of Tween 80 (1.25 w/w%), and water (78.75 w/w%). The physical properties of the formulation showed a droplet size of 169.97 ± 0.31 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.22 ± 0.01, and a zeta potential of −81.17 ± 0.25 mV; the release study showed a cumulative release of 72% after 12 h. This research highlights the potential of preparing corn husk extract for development into complex emulsion formulations for cosmetic applications.