Photoprotective Capacity of Pheophytin a isolated from Caribbean Sea brown algae

Background: Photoprotection includes an array of strategies to prevent the harmful effects of solar radiation on the skin and other parts of the body, becoming crucial in preventing skin damage and associated pathologies. Due to their photoprotective capacity, natural products from algae have been promised for skin protection in cosmetic applications. Objectives: This work aimed to evaluate the photoprotective capacity of pheophytin a isolated from the brown algae Dictyota pinnatifida collected in the Colombian Caribbean Sea. Methods: Pheophytin a was isolated from the brown seaweed Dictyota pinnatifida. Three in vitro spectrophotometric activity assays (SPF, UVAr y λc) were used to evaluate this compound's photoprotection capacity. Results: This chlorophyll derivative is a magnesium-free pigment, with multiple conjugated double bonds featuring a porphyrin ring esterified with a phytol chain. Such structural features make this marine natural product optimal for absorbing and stabilizing solar radiation. In vitro photoprotective activity assays revealed promising results for skin UVA photoprotection with SPF of 2.916 ± 0.355 and 1.411 ± 0.138, UVAr of 6.815 ± 2.296 and 4.629 ± 1.347, and λc of 394.639 ± 0.493 and 394.072 ± 0.912, at concentrations of 30 and 10 ppm, respectively. Conclusions: Pheophytin a has the potential for skin-photoprotection-related applications, particularly against UVA radiation