Strawberry Extract protects Skin Cell from damaging UVA Rays

(Best Syndication News) - Researchers from Italy and Spain found that strawberry extract protected skin cell cultures when exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVA) rays. The strawberry extract has potential to be used as a topical sunscreen cream. The results of the study of strawberry extract and protection from UVA rays was published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry.

Maurizio Battino, researcher at the Università Politecnica delle Marche in Italy and lead author said to SINC that their study verifies that strawberry extract protects against UVA rays from damaging skin cells.

The study involved taking human skin cell cultures and adding strawberry extract to them. They tested 0.05, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/ml strawberry extract concentrations to see how much UVA protection was accomplished. The control extract was not given in different amounts. The ultraviolet light exposure was given to the equivalent of 90 minutes of midday summer sun exposure on the French Riviera the researchers explain.

The 0.5 mg/ml amount of the strawberry extract demonstrated that it was able to protect the skin cells from UVA radiation exposure. In the strawberry extract cultures, the cell survival was increased while the damage to the DNA was less when compared to the control cell culture.

The study authors said that these results are a start for measuring benefits of strawberries both in diet and for the possibility of developing strawberry compounds that could be used in food integrators or cosmetic products.

By: Marsha Quinn
Health Reporter

Ref: Francesca Giampieri, Josè M. Alvarez-Suarez, Sara Tulipani, Ana M. Gonzàles-Paramàs, Celestino Santos-Buelga, Stefano Bompadre, JoséL. Quiles, Bruno Mezzetti, Maurizio Battino. "Photoprotective Potential of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) Extract against UV-A Irradiation Damage on Human Fibroblasts". Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry 60 (9): 2322-7, 2012.