Evaluation of the, in vitro, photoprotetive capacity of Moringa oleifera oil for its use in sunscreen formulation

Abstract

Moringa oleifera Lam is an Indian plant with applications in the agricultural and medical fields. The assets development capable of increasing the efficiency of sunscreens, mainly those of plant origin, due to their natural benefits, represents an increasing demand for cosmetology. The present study aims to identify by CG-MS the constituents of the most active oil and to evaluate the photoprotective capacity of Moringa oil, and its action in sunscreen formulations. Extracts of the oils from the Moringa seeds were evaluated for the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) observing the highest result for the dichloromethane extract. This extract showed low cytotoxic potential for human fibroblasts and it was incorporated into a sunscreen. The extract increased the SPF of the sunscreen and its effect may be related to fatty acids identified by GC-MS. The results showed the benefit of Moringa oil as a vegetable active in the sunscreen formulations by increasing the SPF of sunscreens in a natural and sustainable way.