Evaluation of Stability and Potential Antioxidant Activity of Munguba (Pachira aquatica Aublet) Oil in Cosmetic Emulsions

Munguba (Pachira aquatica Aublet) is a fruit rich in oil that provides important properties and is also of interest in the area of cosmetology. The objective was to evaluate the stability and potential antioxidant activity of emulsion containing munguba oil at two different concentrations. The munguba oil was obtained by extraction using ultrasound and then incorporated in anionic emulsions on ratios of 3 and 5%. The emulsions were evaluated for preliminary stability, accelerated stability, rheological characterization and potential antioxidant activity by DPPH method (1,1-difenil-2-picrylhidrazyl). The emulsion containing 3% munguba oil showed potential antioxidant activity and remained stable for the evaluated parameters. The increase of quantity of oil affects the stability of emulsion, but the activity remained the same as with 3% of oil. The results showed that the emulsions can't be exposed to light radiation and to high temperatures, as these conditions lead to occurrence of creaming process. Then, it can be concluded that munguba oil is a potential material for use in dermatological pharmacy.