Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41596194›Full record

ArticleAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Shaping Lycopene Nanoparticles Performance: How Surfactants Influence Stability, Antioxidant Activity, and Uptake in Human Skin Spheroids.

Francesca Baldassarre, Chiara Boncristiani, Michela Ottolini, Concetta Nobile, Maryam Shahzad Shirazi, Giuseppe E De Benedetto, Gianpiero Colangelo, Viviana Vergaro, Ludovico Valli, Giuseppe Ciccarella

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Francesca BaldassarreDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, S. P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni SNC, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3328-7701
Chiara BoncristianiDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Salento, S. P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni SNC, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-0354-384X
Michela OttoliniDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, S. P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni SNC, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5677-808X
Concetta NobileInstitute of Nanotechnology, CNR NANOTEC, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, S. P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni SNC, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4779-5301
Maryam Shahzad ShiraziDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, S. P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni SNC, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Giuseppe E De BenedettoDepartment of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento, Via D. Birago 64, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-0832-5470
Gianpiero ColangeloDepartment of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, S. P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni SNC, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9182-4336
Viviana VergaroDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Salento, S. P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni SNC, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3706-6276
Ludovico ValliDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, S. P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni SNC, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6943-8647
Giuseppe CiccarellaDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, S. P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni SNC, 73100 Lecce, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4467-0922

Funding

Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy CUP: B89J23001360005
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

There is a growing demand for plant-derived antioxidants to replace synthetic ones in skincare applications. Phytochemicals are characterized by certain limitations, including poor bioavailability and chemical instability, which affect their industrial exploitation. Tomato peel extract has been used as a source of lycopene, which is renowned for its antioxidant properties. To improve the bioavailability of extracted lycopene, polymeric (poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid) nano-carriers were synthesized by comparing two non-ionic surfactants, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Tween 20. The impact of surfactants has been studied by evaluating: (i) colloidal stability determined by dynamic light scattering; (ii) lycopene retention and bioactivity over time, as measured by spectrophotometric assays; (iii) biological interactions on 2D and 3D keratinocyte and melanocyte cell cultures. It was found that both surfactants enable the formation of stable lycopene-loaded nanoparticles suspensions; however, greater colloidal stability was exhibited by nanoparticles prepared with Tween 20. PVA, on the other hand, provided greater nanoparticle stability in terms of loaded lycopene retention and antioxidant activity. Tween 20 surfactant improves the internalization of lycopene-loaded nanoparticles in human skin spheroids. It was demonstrated that both surfactants provided excellent intracellular antioxidant activity of lycopene. This was observed in keratinocytes, melanocytes, adherent cells, and spheroids, suggesting potential skincare applications.

Indexed as

human skin spheroidslycopenenon-ionic surfactantsPLGA nanoparticles

Identifiers

PMID41596194
PMCPMC12837230

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.