ABSTRACT
Skin ageing can be categorised as either intrinsic or extrinsic, ageing depending on the causative agents. Healthy skin requires immense amounts of water, which is dependent on the rate of cutaneous evaporation. Anti-ageing therapies are no longer one-dimensional, but rather a three-dimensional venture that considers multiple targets in the ageing cascade. Nanocosmeceuticals containing synthetic compounds are commercially available, although certain degrees of toxicity and skin damage have become a concern. Gold nanoparticles are an emerging field in nanomedicine and research on this topic has attracted a lot of interest due to the reported therapeutic potential of gold nanoparticles. Opuntia ficus-indica is a plant that grows in arid areas of Brazil. Phenolic compounds such as kaempferol and quercetin and carbohydrates such as galacturonic acid, glucose, rhamnose and arabinose have been identified to be present in the chemical composition of this plant.
