Effect of Cream Formulation of Fenugreek Seed Extract on Some Mechanical Parameters of Human Skin

Purpose: To determine the effect of an emulsion formulation of fenugreek (Trigonella Foneum-Graecum L) seed extract on some mechanical parameters of the skin of healthy human volunteersMethods: A water-in-oil emulsion cream base without fenugreek seed extract which served as control, and a similar formulation containing 4 %w/v of the extract in the internal (aqueous) phase were prepared. Each of the formulations was applied to the cheeks of 10 human volunteers for a period of 4 weeks and some mechanical parameters (R0, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8 and R9) of the skin were measured weekly using Cutometer MPA 580. Results: The results indicate that the effects of the creams on skin mechanical properties were significant (p 0.05) with respect to time, except for R4 and R9. The extract-containing cream substantially increased skin elasticity, hydration and the ability of skin to resist photo-aging when compared to the base. Conclusion: Both the cream base and the cream containing fenugreek extract demonstrated significant (p 0.05) improvement in all mechanical parameters related to skin elasticity, ageing, hydration and fatigue but the effect of the extract cream was more pronounced in some cases.