Leucidal® SF Complete
Background
Active Micro Technologies prides themselves on developing and supplying effective, natural products that deliver skin and hair conditioning benefits, along with providing natural antimicrobial activity. As our original antimicrobial product line and effective antifungal booster continue to lead the natural antimicrobial market, a convenient broad-spectrum antimicrobial mixture with efficacy against bacteria, yeast and mold has been developed to provide full protection in one product. Leucidal® SF Complete combines the antibacterial power of Leucidal® Liquid SF and the antifungal power of AMTicide® Coconut to deliver an effective, salicylate-free one step solution! This highly marketable product can provide moisturizing and conditioning benefits in hair and skin care applications. Leucidal® SF Complete is effective at preventing the growth of bacteria and fungi, including yeast and mold, making it the perfect addition to any formulation.
Science
Leucidal® SF Complete is a mixture of antimicrobial peptide technology. One type of the antimicrobial peptides is originally derived from the lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus. Like many members of the lactic acid bacteria family, Lactobacillus is capable of restricting the growth of other microorganisms by acidifying its environment. However, Lactobacillus also produces novel antimicrobial peptides known as bacteriocins that are capable of providing effective protection against bacteria. Lysozyme is added to the ferment filtrate during the manufacturing process to facilitate controlled cell lysis and ensure the release of the antimicrobial peptides for maximized activity. Using modern fermentation and bioprocessing technology, Active Micro Technologies has commercialized this antimicrobial peptide to produce Leucidal® SF Complete.
The other type of antimicrobial peptide is created from fermenting Cocos nucifera (Coconut) with Lactobacillus. Coconut oil has been traditionally used to treat skin disorders, yeast infections, ringworm, and even athlete’s foot. About 50% of the total fatty acid content of coconut oil are medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s) that exhibit natural antifungal activity. MCT’s, such as lauric acid, work by disrupting the cellular structures of fungus and destroying them before they can wreak havoc. During the fermentation process, lipopeptides are catabolized by the MCT’s present in coconut flesh. Active Micro Technologies has harnessed natural phytocompounds and lipopeptides from coconut to produce a novel antifungal material.
Natural antimicrobial products are similar to synthetic preservative systems in that they are effective against bacteria, however most natural antimicrobial products lack broad-spectrum effectiveness against bacteria and fungi, specifically yeast and mold. Leucidal® SF Complete uses a combination of peptide technology to deliver moisturizing and conditioning benefits as well as providing broad-spectrum activity to protect against bacteria, yeast, and mold in one product.
Benefits
A skin moisturization study was performed using an untreated control, generic cream base, and an experimental with the same cream base containing 2.0% Leucidal® SF Complete. Comparative moisturization results from this study reveal that the addition of 2.0% of Leucidal® SF Complete improved moisture levels by 42.42% after 24 hours and by 63.00% after four weeks when compared to the untreated control. When compared to the base cream Leucidal® SF Complete improved moisturization by 14.38% and after 24 hours and by 25.00% after four weeks. Based on these results, adding this innovative product provides the formulator the opportunity to capitalize on both the natural antimicrobial properties of Leucidal® SF Complete, as well as its ability to provide potent moisturizing benefits to the cosmetic formulation. These properties make it ideal for applications addressing numerous skin and scalp conditions.
One of the first steps in the development of Leucidal® SF Complete was to determine the product’s potential ability to inhibit the growth of a variety of bacteria and fungi. Using standard serial dilution protocols in growth media, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) for Leucidal® SF Complete were determined for a variety of bacterial and fungal organisms.
The positive MIC screening results warranted further testing to confirm its ability to provide product preservation. A Double Challenge Test was completed using 2.0% Leucidal® SF Complete in a generic cream base formulation. Samples were inoculated with E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, C. albicans, and A. brasiliensis. During the first 28-day incubation period, samples were periodically collected and tested for the presence of these microorganisms. Following this initial 28 days of incubation, the cream samples were then re-inoculated with the microbial cultures and sampled over an additional 28-day period.
Use Recommendations
As with all biological materials, attention must be paid to the conditions under which Leucidal® SF Complete is used. Based on bench-scale evaluations, as well as actual product applications, Leucidal® SF Complete has been found to be effective over a wide range of typical cosmetic and personal care product manufacturing conditions. The product has been found to be heat stable up to 70oC and active under both acidic (pH 3) and basic (pH 8) conditions.
