15th PBP World Meeting on Pharmaceutics, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology

This study aimed to develop and characterize a neuroactive topical formulation enriched with Gardenia jasminoides extract, with a focus on correlating its physicochemical attributes with its volatile metabolomic (volabolomic) behavior. Three oil in water emulsions , a base cream with a Gardenia jasminoides extract formulation, and a cetacene containing comparator ,were prepared using lamellar forming polyglyceryl emulsifiers and a structured lipid phase to support volatile stabilization. Comprehensive evaluation of critical quality attributes demonstrated that incorporation of the Gardenia extract significantly modified the emulsion microstructure, producing larger and more polydisperse droplets and slightly reduced viscosity relative to the control formulation. In vivo VOC profiling using MOS sensor technology revealed that the Gardenia jasminoides formulation generated substantially higher, more dynamic, and prolonged volatile emissions compared with the base cream, characterized by an initial burst release followed by sustained diffusion up to 96 hours. These findings indicate that the Gardenia extract enhances both structural organization and volatile release kinetics, thereby promoting more pronounced neurosensory activation through the skin–brain axis. Overall, the results support the utility of volabolomic analysis as a sensitive tool for assessing neuroactivity performance and confirm the potential of Gardenia jasminoides as an effective bioactive ingredient for innovative sensorial skincare.