Natural products as aids for protecting the skin's immune system against UV damage.
Modern sun-protection products reduce the risk for erythema and DNA damage, but even those products with a very high sun protection factor (SPF) and full-spectrum UVB and UVA protection may not prevent UV radiation (UVR)-induced immunomodulation. Formulating sunscreens with a high SPF, as well as a high immune protection factor, is necessary for preventing skin cancer and maintaining effective immune responses to infectious disease after sun exposure. Supplementing current sun-protection products with immunoprotective compounds may help fill the gap between erythema protection and immunoprotection. Animal and now human studies have shown that a class of agents known as oligosaccharins--complex carbohydrates found in plants--protect the cutaneous immune system from UVB-induced and UVA-induced immunomodulation. This immunoprotective effect occurs independently from erythema and DNA damage protection, and these agents, particularly tamarind xyloglucan, may become important adjunctive ingredients to sunscreens.
Strickland
Faith M
FM
Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Kuchel
Johanna M
JM
Halliday
Gary M
GM
D000504:Aloe; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013471:Sunburn / Q000517:prevention & control*; D029861:Tamarindus; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*