Screening of benzophenone-type UV filters with low toxicity and additional benefits using mammalian cell lines

抄録

Benzophenones (BPs) are a class of ultraviolet filters with similar chemical structures, commonly used in personal care products such as sunscreen to protect the skin from excessive sun exposure. Some BPs are also added to plastic products to prevent their photo-degradation. Certain BPs (e.g., BP-3) can induce coral bleaching and estrogenic effects on aquatic life, making BPs an environmental concern. However, little literature analyzes both the toxicity and beneficial function possessed by BP-type UV filters. The purpose of this study is to assess the cytotoxicity of commercially available BPs and their additional function on melanin inhibition in the mouse skin melanoma cell line (B16F10). According to the cytotoxicity rank (e.g., 48-hr LC₅₀ values) of BPs by the MTT assay, BP-2 had the lowest toxicity among the six tested BPs (BP-1, BP-2, BP-3, BP-4, BP-7, BP-8), while BP-8 and BP-7 had higher cytotoxicity. In addition, BP-2 caused the dose-dependent inhibition of melanin content in B16F10 cells, as compared to the control. Lastly, we will discuss the molecular mechanism of how BPs (particularly BP-2) regulate tyrosinase-related melanogenesis. We will suggest a better BP alternative that is environmentally friendly, low toxic and multiple functional for sunscreen-related product manufacturing.