## 4 Conclusions  
Considering the conducted comparative studies of the activity of extracts from _A. reptans_, it can be concluded that the root extract is as valuable an active substance as that already used in cosmetics extracted from the leaves of ground plant. What is worth emphasizing is that the article compared the cosmetic potential of extracts from both the herb of the bugleweed and the root extract of this plant, which has not been previously described in the literature as an active ingredient in cosmetics. This allowed for the assessment of the potential use of both parts of the plant and the evaluation of their activity in terms of specific skin care. For instance, the roots extract demonstrates significantly higher effectiveness in inhibiting collagenase activity, thereby slowing down the degradation of the skin's key structural protein. The bugleweed root extract also proved to be more effective in the process of tyrosinase inhibition, indicating a higher potential for skin brightening. At the same time, extracts from the herb of the bugleweed exhibited a higher capacity for chemically reducing free radicals and chelating metal ions, which supports protection against the effects of reactive oxygen species on the skin. The multifunctional activity of both extracts shown in this article proves that both ingredients exhibit action on multiple levels of skin care, while remaining safe for use. We have also demonstrated how the drying method of the raw material affects the antioxidant and enzymatic activity of the obtained extracts. The use of freeze-drying method has shown that the resulting extract retains significantly higher ability to chelate metal ions in the case of the root (with 26.83% higher activity than in the case of conventionally dried root). It is also worth emphasizing that  
Figure 4: Relative tissue viability with the application of A. reptans (L_D—dried leaves, R_D—dried roots, L_L—freeze-dried leaves, R_L—freeze-dried roots, NC—negative control, DPBS, PC—positive control, 5% sodium dodecyl sulphate). the antioxidant activity in both ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP methods was higher for extracts obtained from material dried by lyophilization. The high ability to neutralize free radicals, confirmed by various methods, the ability to induce collagen biosynthesis in the skin, as well as the brightening effect, represent invaluable actions in multiple aspects of skin protection against aging. Simultaneously, the investigated extracts protect the skin from UV radiation, further enhancing its natural defense against structural degeneration caused by sunlight. A comparison of the qualitative composition of the examined root and leaf extracts reveals differences in the content of major metabolites, which consistently correlate with slightly different antioxidant, enzymatic, and photoprotective activities. It is worth emphasizing that the root extract exhibits a stronger influence on collagen synthesis in the skin. This ingredient has not been described in the literature regarding its cosmetic action before, thus the presented research serves as valuable material for further studies on this raw material. However, it is undoubtedly a safe active ingredient, as confirmed by tests on a reconstructed skin model. To sum up, the results of our study indicated that the _A. reptans_ root extracts, similarly to the plant leaf extracts, could be applied as potentially multi-functional, safe and sensitive raw materials in anti-aging and anti-pollution cosmetics. Conceptualization, M.A.M. and E.S. ; methodology, M.A.M., A.S. and A.D.; validation, A.S. formal analysis, A.D., A.S. and M.A.M. ; investigation, A.D.; resources, M.A.M. and A.S.; data curation, M.A.M., A.D. and A.S.; writing--original draft preparation, A.D.; writing--review and editing, M.A.M., E.S. and A.S.; visualization, M.A.M., supervision, E.S. and M.A.M. ; project administration, M.A.M., funding acquisition, M.A.M. and E.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.