Oats (Avena sativa) belongs to the Poaceae family, which represents a popular dietary staple in various parts of the world. Due to its large annual harvest and use it is cultivated in many countries. Its use dates back to traditional medicine, but in the recent years it has also flourished in the field of pharmacy, medicine and cosmetic industry. Oat extract can be found in countless skincare formulations in the form of creams, lotions, gels and shampoos, which offer occlusive, emollient, moisturizing, nourishing, antioxidant and cleansing properties. Because of the plant's interesting chemical composition, extra care needs to be taken and all the recommendations to ensure safe use of the extract need to be followed. The chemical composition of the plant itself can also be affected by different factors such as climate, harvest period, drying process, storage process and good manufacturing practice. In this thesis, we have conducted a safety assessment for the Oats extract as an ingredient of a cosmetic product by employing the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) approach, which evaluates the compounds based on chemical structures and classifies them according to the Cramer classification scheme thus providing the predetermined exposure limits (TTC values). With the use of available literature, we have examined the qualitative and quantitative compositions of the actual plant and extract of oat grain, hay and herb. Based on the physicochemical properties of each known compound, we estimated its maximum potential absorption and systemic exposure when using such cosmetic product. In case the concentration of compound in the extract was unknown, we determined the acceptable systemic exposure based on maximum estimated potential absorption and exposure limits (TTC values) obtained with the help of Cramer classification scheme. For some of the compounds, we have also calculated a safe daily exposure by employing the NOAEL values, which exceeded TTC values and systemic exposure values of the compounds brought about by the use of the cosmetic product. Based on all calculations and examined properties, we have concluded that the extract of oat grain, hay and herb is safe for use in cosmetic products.
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