{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]],"date-time":"2026-04-10T10:43:27Z","timestamp":1775817807942,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]],"date-time":"2026-04-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775779200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UID\/50020\/2025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/50020\/2025"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["LA\/P\/0045\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0045\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/00690\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00690\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["LA\/P\/0007\/2021"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0007\/2021"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["UID\/50020\/2025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/50020\/2025"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00snfqn58","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["LA\/P\/0045\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0045\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00snfqn58","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["UIDB\/00690\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00690\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00snfqn58","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["LA\/P\/0007\/2021"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0007\/2021"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00snfqn58","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cosmetics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) plays an important role in skin regeneration and repair by promoting cell proliferation and collagen synthesis. However, its topical application is limited by low stability, susceptibility to degradation, and poor penetration through the stratum corneum due to its hydrophilic nature and relatively large molecular size. Microencapsulation offers a strategy to protect sensitive bioactives and improve their delivery in cosmetic formulations. In this study, EGF was encapsulated in Arabic gum\/gelatine A (AG\/GE) coacervate microcapsules and incorporated into a hydrating cream. The work extends previous studies using the same microcapsule composition for lipophilic compounds, demonstrating its applicability for a hydrophilic bioactive and highlighting the versatility of the encapsulation platform. The resulting microcapsules exhibited spherical, multinucleated morphology with an encapsulation efficiency of 78.8 + 1.0%. Although diffusion of microencapsulated EGF in the cream could not be directly determined, the formulation showed trends towards improvement in several skin parameters during the volunteer evaluation, including reduction in surface spots (31%), brown spots (21%) and pore visibility (10%), and improved texture (22%). A 25% decrease in transepidermal water loss and a 33% increase in elasticity suggested improved skin barrier function. Volunteers reported high acceptance regarding non-irritancy, texture, and sensory experience.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cosmetics13020089","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]],"date-time":"2026-04-10T09:08:12Z","timestamp":1775812092000},"page":"89","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Microencapsulation of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in Arabic Gum\/Gelatine A Coacervates and Its Incorporation into Cosmetics: Evaluation of Skin Barrier Function and Ageing Indicators"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9273-2329","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"J\u00falia Cristi\u00ea","family":"Kessler","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"LSRE-LCM, ALiCE, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Polite\u0301cnico de Braganc\u0327a, Campus de Santa Apolo\u0301nia, 5300-253 Braganc\u0327a, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0897-8807","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabel M.","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LSRE-LCM, ALiCE, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7053-373X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yaidelin A.","family":"Manrique","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LSRE-LCM, ALiCE, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-2753-2652","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sigr\u00fan D\u00f6gg","family":"Gudj\u00f3nsd\u00f3ttir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BIOEFFECT ehf., V\u00edkurhvarf 7, 203 K\u00f3pavogur, Iceland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0715-4761","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Al\u00edrio E.","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LSRE-LCM, ALiCE, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6844-333X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Filomena","family":"Barreiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Polite\u0301cnico de Braganc\u0327a, Campus de Santa Apolo\u0301nia, 5300-253 Braganc\u0327a, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1208-1496","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Madalena Maria","family":"Dias","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LSRE-LCM, ALiCE, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]]},"container-title":["Cosmetics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-9284\/13\/2\/89\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]],"date-time":"2026-04-10T09:43:23Z","timestamp":1775814203000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-9284\/13\/2\/89"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]}},"alternative-id":["cosmetics13020089"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/cosmetics13020089","relation":{},"ISSN":["2079-9284"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-9284","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]]}}}