Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is a medicinal plant from the Sapindaceae family and is widely known and used in traditional as well as modern medicine. In cosmetic products, it most often appears as a skin care ingredient due to its nourishing effects. In addition, it can have an astringent and tonic effect and is found in various commercial cosmetic products. Plant extracts are considered safe, but it is very important to follow all the prescribed rules and recommendations for making the extract as well as for obtaining individual compounds. In this thesis, we assessed the safety of the extract of horse chestnut as a component of a cosmetic product using the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) approach. The approach is based on the classification of individual compounds into Cramer classes based on their chemical structures. Each class is assigned a permitted exposure level. Based on the literature data, we studied the qualitative and quantitative composition of the extract of flowers, seeds and leaves of horse chestnut. Based on the physicochemical properties of the compounds and their concentrations, we estimated the maximum potential extent of absorption and systemic exposure. For some compounds, we did not have data on their content, so TTC values and estimated maximum potential absorption were used to determine their maximum permitted concentration in the extract. For some compounds, NOAEL values were also found, based on which we calculated the safe daily doses. The experimentally determined NOAEL values were significantly higher than the assigned TTC values and estimated systemic exposures following the use of extract. To conclude, we assessed that the extract of flowers, seeds and leaves of horse chestnut are safe for use in cosmetic products.
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