"Evaluation of Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of Common Fruit and Vegetable Extracts Using UV-Visible Spectroscopy”: An Herbal Approach

Skin cancer is one of the many skin conditions brought on by excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. Sunscreen is essential for preventing sun damage since it contains UV filters. Because sunscreen absorbs or reflects UV rays, it shields the skin from UV-induced damage. However, prolonged exposure to physical and chemical UV filters can have a number of negative impacts on the environment and skin. Because of their antioxidant qualities and UV absorption, natural ingredients like fruit and vegetable extracts have been emphasized in sunscreen formulations. By measuring the sun protection factor (SPF), total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of fruits and vegetables, this study seeks to assess their potential application as photo-protective agents. The SPF of five vegetable samples—tomato, brinjal, ginger, sweet potato, and onion—and five fruit samples—guava, mango, sapodilla, dragon fruit, and apple—was examined. The spectrophotometric method was used to measure the photoprotective activity, and the Mansur equation was used to calculate the results. The Folin-Ciocalteu method and the DPPH radical scavenging assay were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity and phenolic content of each sample, respectively. There was a moderate association between TPC and DPPH (r = 0.46, p > 0.05), a weak correlation between SPF and TPC (r = 0.02, p > 0.05), and a substantial correlation between SPF and concentration (r = 0.95-0.99, p < 0.05). The study demonstrates the potential for adding a number of specific plant extracts to sunscreen formulations.