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Updated: May 16, 2025

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model
Published on: September 7, 2013
Plant compounds inhibit UV radiation-induced erythema in mice skin
Diego Armando Villamizar-Mantilla1, Elena E Stashenko2, Jorge Luis Fuentes Lorenzo1,2
1Laboratorio de Microbiología y Mutagénesis Ambiental (LMMA), Grupo de Investigación en Microbiología y Genética, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Bucaramanga, Colombia.
Abstract:
Phytochemicals are photoprotective compounds that prevent mutations involved in skin cancer and ageing. We studied protective activity of plant compounds against ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation induced skin erythema in albino BALB/c mice. The protective effect was quantified using narrow-band reflectance spectroscopy both in the presence and the absence of plant compounds. Among the studied compounds, five (apigenin, caffeic acid, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), kaempferol, and pinocembrin) inhibited UVB-induced skin erythema in mice; thus, they are promising for skin photoprotection. Erythema measurements of mice skin using narrow-band reflectance spectroscopy are valuable for the identification of photoprotective compounds.
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