Bioprospecção da atividade fotoprotetora do óleo essencial de Coriandrum sativum L.

Abstract

Skin cancer ranks fourth among the most expensive to treat. This disease has exposure to ultraviolet radiation as its main etiological factor. Thus, photoprotection mediated by sunscreens is of great importance for its prevention. The investigation of substances with a photoprotective effect is a very active area of science, with emphasis on the investigation of the activities of natural products. In this sense, an aromatic plant rich in essential oils stands out, Coriandrum sativum L, popularly known as coriander. This vegetable has its origin in the Mediterranean, with dissemination and production throughout almost the entire world. In Brazil, its leaves are widely used in cooking and, as in many parts of the world, they are also traditionally used to treat respiratory, digestive and emotional illnesses. Among the pharmacological properties reported in the literature, it was observed that Coriandrum sativum L presented antioxidant, antimutagenic, anxiolytic, antiglycemic, hepatoprotective activities, with the effects mediated, in many cases, by its major component, linalool, whose antioxidant effect is quite known. Given the above, the objective of this research was to determine the sun protection factor (SPF) of the essential oil of Coriandrum sativum L. As a result, it was observed that the essential oil presented a sun protection factor (SPF) ranging between 6.31 and 9.57. Thus, the essential oil of Coriandrum sativum L showed a photoprotective effect in vitro, which demonstrates its potential as a photoprotective agent, which makes it essential to carry out new pharmacological approaches in order to better characterize its photoprotective effects.