Antifungal Activity and Safety of Physalis angulata Extract, Its Fraction, and Their Nanoemulsions as Candidate Cosmetic Ingredients: A Preliminary In Vitro Study

Physalis angulata L. is a source of lipophilic bioactive metabolites of interest for cosmetic research, but the antifungal behavior of its fractions in nanoemulsions remains poorly characterized. This study evaluated the antioxidant, antifungal, irritant, and cytotoxic activity of a chloroform extract (E) and a hexane–ethyl acetate (6:4) fraction (F) from P. angulata, and their nanoemulsions (NE-E, NE-F), using HPLC-UV, DPPH, microdilution, HET-CAM and HaCaT assays. HPLC-UV showed major peaks at 39–41 min, predominant in F. E showed moderate antioxidant activity (EC50 = 415 µg/mL), while F showed limited activity. F was active against all six microorganisms tested (T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, M. canis, C. albicans, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis), most potently against M. canis (MIC = 0.07 mg/mL). NE-F retained reduced activity against the dermatophytes but not against Candida. Samples showed no HET-CAM irritant effect. In HaCaT cells, NE-F showed an IC50 of 173.1 µg/mL; its MIC against M. canis (310 µg/mL) exceeded this value, indicating a limited cellular safety margin. The nanoemulsions remained in the nanometric range over 30 days, although NE-F showed a transient increase in PDI on Day 7. These results demonstrate the antifungal potential of fraction F and show that nanoemulsification partially preserved dermatophyte activity, supporting further investigation of F as a candidate cosmetic ingredient.