Abstract
Unprotected exposure of skin to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) may damage the DNA of skin cells and can lead to skin cancer. Sunscreens are topical formulations used to protect skin against UVR. The active ingredients of sunscreens are UV filters that absorb, scatter, and/or reflect UVR. Preventing the formation of free radicals and repairing DNA damages, natural antioxidants are also added to sunscreens as a second fold of protection against UVR. Antioxidants can help stabilise these formulations during the manufacturing process and upon application on skin. However, UV filters and antioxidants are both susceptible to degradation upon exposure to sunlight and oxygen. Additionally, due to their poor water solubility, natural antioxidants are challenging to formulate and exhibit limited penetration and bioavailability in the site of action (i.e., deeper skin layers). Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides that are capable of forming inclusion complexes with poorly soluble drugs, such as antioxidants. In this review, we discuss the use of CDs inclusion complexes to enhance the aqueous solubility of antioxidants and chemical UV filters and provide a protective shield against degradative factors. The role of CDs in providing a controlled drug release profile from sunscreens is also discussed. Finally, incorporating CDs inclusion complexes into sunscreens has the potential to increase their efficiency and hence improve their skin cancer prevention.
Highlights
Ultraviolet radiation (UVR), mainly coming from the sun, is divided into three main categories: UVA, UVB, and UVC
Even with the application of sunscreens of high sun protection factor (SPF), the epidermis is still exposed to low levels of UVR, leaning to the generation of UV-induced free radicals within the skin [6]
The results showed that with the β-CD inclusion complexes, the SPF was increased by up to 19.6% [86]
Summary
Ultraviolet radiation (UVR), mainly coming from the sun, is divided into three main categories: UVA, UVB, and UVC. Even with the application of sunscreens of high sun protection factor (SPF), the epidermis is still exposed to low levels of UVR, leaning to the generation of UV-induced free radicals within the skin [6]. This explains the need to incorporate radical scavenging antioxidants into sunscreens’ formulations. The inclusion complexes of UV filters and natural antioxidants with different CDs are critically assessed for their potential to enhance sunscreen’s therapeutic effect in preventing UVR-induced skin cancers
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