A Novel and Reliable Analysis Method Utilizing Hennosides to Improve the Quality Assessment of Lawsonia inermis L. Material Used in Cosmetic Formulations
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Lawsonia inermis L. is renowned for its hair dyeing properties, with henna quality and safety often regulated by restrictions on the lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) content. In henna leaves, lawsone exists as glycosylated precursors, hennosides A, B, and C. Aqueous maceration revealed the sensitivity of enzymatic lawsone release, while ethanol extraction inhibited β-glucosidase activity, enabling controlled hennoside extraction. Hennoside A was isolated via RP-column chromatography and characterized using ESI-TOF, 1H-/13C-NMR, COSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC. The purified compound proved suitable as an HPLC reference standard. The acidic hydrolysis of hennoside-rich extracts highlighted the limitations of lawsone-based analysis, underscoring glycosylated precursors as more reliable quality markers. Lawsone quantification via enzymatic or acid catalysis demonstrated varying accuracy in quality control. A hennoside-based approach ensures consistency by estimating the maximum releasable lawsone without inducing its formation, providing a more robust metric for a henna quality assessment.
Source: Cosmetics
Authors: Nele Dallmann, Volkmar Vill, Fabian Straske
Institutions: Universität Hamburg, Henkel (Germany)
Language: English
Subfield: Analytical Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,172
Funder: Universität Hamburg
OpenAlex ID: W4410374756