English Ivy Nanoparticles Found to Protect Skin from UV Radiation

Posted: June 30, 2010

Researchers at the University of Tennessee report that English ivy nanoparticles may protect skin from UV radiation better than other metal-based nanoparticles such as titanium dioxide (TiO₂). Their work, published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology, responds to research claiming that metal-based nanoparticles could be linked to environmental and animal toxicity, and that TiO₂, maghemite and iron nanoparticles less than 15 nm are capable of penetrating the stratum corneum, potentially leading to increased aging, pathological effects in the liver and particle accumulation in the brain.

The team isolated nanoparticles from Hedera helix (English ivy) and evaluated them for potential use in sunscreens based on their ability to absorb and scatter UV light, safety toward mammalian cells, biodegradability and potential for diffusion through skin. The team observed that the isolated ivy nanoparticles had a diameter of 65.3 ± 8.04 nm, based on measurements of 30 randomly counted nanoparticles that were not dominated by other particles.

To test the ability of the nanoparticles to protect skin from UV radiation, a UV and visible wavelength spectrophotometer was used to measure the optical extinction spectra of the nanoparticles. The team observed that at a concentration of 4.92 μg/mL, the nanoparticles exhibited significant extinction in the UV region, while having little extinction at the visible and near infrared regions. This indicated that the ivy nanoparticles could effectively block UV radiation without the opacity observed in other metal-based nanoparticles.

Comparing the UV blockage with TiO₂ nanoparticles at the same concentration indicated that the total extinction of the ivy nanoparticles from 280 nm to 400 nm was better than the TiO₂ nanoparticles. In addition, extinction of the ivy nanoparticles decreased sharply after the UV region, which makes ivy nanoparticles more effective in the UVA/UVB region and gives them high transmittance in the visible region, making them virtually "invisible."

To assess the toxicity of the nanoparticles, the team incubated 1 μg/mL ivy nanoparticles with HeLa cells for 24 hr. Using propidium iodide staining, researchers examined the cells upon incubation with the ivy nanoparticles by flow cytometry, noting no toxicity in comparison with the control cells.