FORMULATION AND IN VITRO EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF HERBAL SUNSCREEN FORMULATION

Abstract

UV radiations reaching to the surface of the earth are responsible to cause skin damage and condition get worse on long exposure. The chemical and physical sunblock agents are not enough to protect skin, whereas natural products are emerging on large scale for their health benefits. The present investigation is an attempt to formulate herbal sunscreen creams and their evaluation for total phenolic, flavonoid content and free radical scavenging property. Flowers of Butea monosperma, leaves of Neolamarckia cadamba, peel of Punica granatum and leaves of Cymbopogon citratus were extracted with methanol. Total five creams with concentration of 2% w/w were formulated in different combinations using 1:1 proportion of extracts. The total phenolic, flavonoid content and antioxidant potential was determined. Diphenyl picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging assays and reducing power assay were studied by using ascorbic acid as reference standard. The total phenolic and flavonoid content of F-5 was higher and found to be 38.76±0.59 mg GAE/g and 47.89±0.36 mg QE/g respectively. F-1 to F-5 creams exhibited antioxidant potential in concentration dependant manner. Cream F-5 shown better antioxidant property with IC50 value 22.97 $\mu $g/ml and 51.49 $\mu $g/ml for DPPH and NO respectively and increased reducing ability with higher absorbance. The mixture of all extracts indicating synergetic property of polyphenolic phytoconstituents present in F-5. Further the formulation is required to study for its in vitro and in vivo sun protective property.