The proposed work is aimed to investigate the ultraviolet (UV) light absorption capacity and sun protection factor (SPF) of selected plant extracts. Chemical agents are protecting against UV radiations but long exposure may cause allergies to the skin. The alternative is required to overcome such skin allergies, hyperpigmentation, sunburn, photoaging, and skin irritation. The plant products and their phytochemicals have recently been used for their antioxidant property, which can be used for UV absorbance ability and photoprotective property. The methanol extracts of flowers of Butea monosperma, leaves of Neolamarckia cadamba, peel of Punica granatum and leaves of Cymbopogon citratus were prepared by continuous Soxhlet extraction method and their UV absorbance was measured between 200 and 400 nm using UV spectrophotometer at 30μg/ml concentration. Further extracts were subjected to in vitro SPF determination at 2040 μg/ml concentration by using the Mansur equation between 290 and 320 nm range using a spectrophotometer. All extracts showed UV absorbance capacity in 200400 nm range and the P. granatum extracts having higher SPF. The SPF for B. monosperma flowers, N. cadamba leaves, P. granatum, and C. citratus leaves were found to be 2.1430 ± 0.0271, 2.2892 ± 0.0287, 4.1401 ± 0.0551, 0.8751 ± 0.0112 at 20 μg/ml, 2.3824 ± 0.0301, 2.3020 ± 0.0284, 4.3373 ± 0.0566, and 1.0940 ± 0.0140 at 30μg/ml and 2.5953 ± 0.0328, 2.7789 ± 0.0345, 6.0643 ± 0.0804, and 1.8765 ± 0.0239 at 40 μg/ml, respectively. The initial study proved the UV absorbing and Sun protecting capacity of selected plant extracts. This finding suggests that the extracts can be considered to develop photoprotective formulation in different combinations and proportions, which will provide an additive or synergetic effect. The proposed spectrophotometric method is simple, convenient and cost-effective for SPF determination.
Key words: UV radiation, spectrophotometer, photoprotective, plant extracts, SPF.
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