In vitro cosmeceutical activity of alcoholic extract from chestnut inner shell fermented with Aspergillus sojae

Chestnut inner shell was fermented in solid state with Aspergillus sojae, and then extracted using ethanol (95%) to analyze its cosmeceutical activity and phenolic composition. The fermentation significantly increased the antioxidant activity, and in vitro cosmeceutical activities. The ethanol extract showed the higher activities than ethyl acetate and water extracts. DPPH radical scavenging activity of the alcoholic extract was 80.53%, and tyrosinase and elastase inhibition activities were 101.01%, and 76.73%, respectively, after 10 days of fermentation. Kojic acid, a secondary metabolite of A. sojae was produced by the fermentation as a major bioactive component. Gallic acid, ellagic acid, and coumaric acid appeared the major phenolic acids in the alcoholic extract from fermented chestnut inner shell. The alcoholic extract from chestnut inner shell fermented by A. sojae may be used as an effective and bioactive cosmeceutical.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01044-9.