Ex vivo UV-C Protective Effect of Aloe vera

Abstract

Chronic exposure to UV-C can cause sunburn, skin cancer, oxidative stress as well as photo-aging. Many herbs and plant extracts have recently been recognized as a potential source of sunscreen due to their UV-absorbing properties. Aloe vera L., which has been used for therapeutic purposes by humans for centuries, is also among these plants. In this study, it was aimed to reveal the sunscreen properties of the latex and gel parts of A. vera and the effect of these properties on cells exposed to UV rays. In this study, primarily, the lethal effect of UV-C rays on healthy cells was observed over time. Then, the latex and gel parts of the obtained A. vera plant were separated and spread on the surface of petri dishes as a single and double layer. By adding a determined number of cells of the petri dishes, the protection of A. vera against the lethal effect of 1, 1.5 and 2 hours of UV-C exposure was investigated. According to the study findings, in all cells in the control group, an increasing number of deaths occurred as the UV-C exposure time was prolonged and no viable cells remained at the 2nd hour. The double-layered A. vera latex and gel groups exhibited less cell death than the control and still had viable cells at 2 hours. From this point of view, it has been shown in this study that a protective product that can be made using A. vera can prevent the damages that may develop due to UV-C exposure.