Cassia obtusifolia seed extract for Skin, Body, and Health

Cassia obtusifolia L., of the Leguminosae family, is used as a diuretic, laxative, tonic, purgative, and natural remedy for treating headache, dizziness, constipation, tophobia, and lacrimation and for improving eyesight. It is commonly used in tea in Korea.

Various anthraquinone derivatives make up its main chemical constituents: emodin, chrysophanol, physcion, obtusifolin, obtusin, naphthopyrone glycosides, toralactone-9-β-gentiobioside, au rantio-obtusin, chryso-obtusin, alaternin, questin, aloe-emodin, gluco-aurantio-obtusin, glucoobtusifolin, toralactone gentiobioside, and cassiaside.

• Neuroprotective Activity: Cassia obtusifolia seed extract can help with Alzheimer’s Disease and also help in the prevention and treatment of Parkinson’s Disease.

• Hepatoprotective Activity: it can also help to mitigate liver injury caused by hepatotoxic agents and thus prevent damage to the liver.

• Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activity: Cassia obtusifolia seed extract has anti-inflammatory properties that can calm red or inflamed skin and it also has high antioxidant content making it able to scavenge free radicals and prevent aging.

• Treatment of eye problems: it can help with red, swollen, and painful eyes. Eye problems such as photosensitivity, night blindness and insidious loss of vision without visible physical changes to the eye, and easy tearing in the Wind.

• Antimicrobial Activity: a study showed that Cassia obtusifolia seed extract was active against several different microbes (Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Escherichia coli, B. bifidum, B. longum, B. breve, Clostridium perfringens, Lactobacillus casei) meaning that it could have potential antimicrobial activity.

• Antidiabetic Activity: Results from one study indicated that oral administration of Cassia obtusifolia seed extract significantly reversed the changes induced by hyperlipidemia in body weight, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, increased serum superoxide dismutase, and nitric oxide, and reduced malondialdehyde meaning that it could have potential antidiabetic activity.

• Other pharmacological properties include antiplatelet aggregation, anticancer activity, and larvicidal activity (can be used as a insecticide).

Cassia obtusifolia seed extract should be suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin and skin of colour, but do make sure to conduct a test patch to see if you are allergic to this extract.