Abstract
Progressively growing diagnoses of skin cancer trigger public health concerns about excessive sun exposure, awareness of the deleterious effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the skin, and the proper use of sunscreens. Studies show that bioactive molecules, such as rosmarinic acid (RA), may potentiate the photoprotective and antioxidant activity of topical formulations. This research presents the application of the concepts of quality by design (QbD) to evaluate the critical parameters of quality and the development of an optimized cosmetic formulation with RA by means of an understanding of product design space. Samples were developed using design of experiments (DoE) and they were evaluated for in vitro antioxidant activity and photoprotective efficacy, as well as for photostability through artificial irradiation. We were able to achieve the RA performance regarding antioxidant and SPF properties through in vitro experiments. We obtained the equations for predicting the in vitro antioxidant activity and SPF. Considering our sunscreen system, developed with octyl p-methoxycinnamate and bemotrizinol, the presence of RA increased its antioxidant capacity; however, the in vitro SPF was reduced when both UV filters were used. The development of multifunctional sunscreens is of utmost importance; moreover, there is a need for the rational development of formulations that ensure representative statistical tests of the effects and interactions among the components of a formulation on the desired critical quality attributes, including efficacy.
Highlights
Sun rays’ contact with the skin is responsible for important benefits for humans, such as the feeling of well-being and comfort, improved sleep quality, and the synthesis of vitamin D, which plays an important role in the quality of bone structure
The design of experiments (DoE) 23 assisted in assessing combinations of compounds that could be applied in the formulations and, in sequence, in evaluating interactions between the UV filters and rosmarinic acid (RA) aiming at the maintenance of photoprotection and antioxidant efficacy
Sánchez-Campillo and colleagues studied the antioxidant activity of RA in aqueous systems through thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays
Summary
Sun rays’ contact with the skin is responsible for important benefits for humans, such as the feeling of well-being and comfort, improved sleep quality (since the perception of sunlight acts on the circadian rhythm), and the synthesis of vitamin D, which plays an important role in the quality of bone structure. The occurrence of skin cancer reflects the concern about unprotected and unplanned sun exposure [1,2] Given the damage caused by the incidence of solar radiation on the skin, the use of photoprotectors (sunscreens) has become crucial in preventing and reducing the risk of skin cancer, whether melanoma or non-melanoma [3–6]. Photoprotective formulations are developed with chemical (organic) and/or physical (inorganic) filters. The chemical structure of organic filters allows the absorption of ultraviolet (UV) rays.
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