Abstract

EVALUATION OF IN VITRO SUNSCREEN ACTIVITY OF HERBAL CREAM CONTAINING EXTRACT OF CURCUMA LONGA AND BUTEA MONOSPERMA

Vaishali Bambal* and Manisha Mishra

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro sunscreen activity of Herbal cream containing rhizome extract of Curcuma longa Linn. (Fam. Zingiberaceae) and flower extract of Butea monosperma Lam. (Fabaceae). The dried powdered rhizomes and flowers were extracted successively with petroleum ether and ethanol in soxhlet apparatus. Two sunscreen creams were formulated using ethanolic extract and tested for the physicochemical parameters such as colour, odour, spreadability, pH, specific gravity, limit test for lead and viscosity. Stability study and sensitivity study was done by centrifugation method and patch test for irritancy respectively. The in vitro SPF of the formulations was determined according to the UV Spectrophotometric method of Mansur et al. The sunscreen cream containing ethanolic extract of Curcuma longa under study produced high absorbance at 290-320 nm wavelength range and SPF obtained was 12.08 ± 4.44, where as for Butea monosperma sunscreen cream it was 10.21±1.13. From the result obtained in the study, we can positively conclude that Curcuma longa sunscreens significantly contribute in the preparation of photoprotective cosmetic formulations which could prevent the skin with harmful effects of ultraviolet radiations. It will also help in broadening the UV protection ability of the sunscreen along with the greatest advantage of avoiding the adverse and undesired effects of synthetic sunscreen compounds

Keywords: Butea monosperma, Curcuma longa, sun protection factor (SPF).