Fungi's treasure in cosmeceuticals-a comprehensive chemical approach

The cosmetic sector has experienced some of the strongest growth during the past ten years. In order to develop effective formulations, the cosmetic industry continually seeks high-quality organic components with pertinent bio-active properties such as anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, anti-pigmentation, anti-collagenase, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory capabilities. There has been a noteworthy surge in the demand for cosmeceuticals utilizing fungal materials, driven by their unique biological and chemical characteristics in the past few decades. The sporophores of wild and cultivated mushrooms, are the sources of several nutraceuticals that can be used as nutricosmetics when taken orally. Not only the terrestrial members, fungi from the oceans generated more than 1000 metabolites, several of which are under investigation as potential cosmeceuticals and have therapeutic possibilities due to their diverse biological characteristics. Fungi-derived molecules such as kojic acid, chrysophanol, scytonemin, mycosporine-like amino acids,b-glucans, triterpenoids (ganoderic acids, ergosterols), ergothioneine, ceramide and chitosans are some key active components influ- encing the efficacy of cosmetic products. This review concentrates on several fungi-based cosmeceuticals, providing insights into their synthesis, mechanism of action, effectiveness, safety, as well as potential impact on the cosmetic market. (c) 2024 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.