Biological Activities of MAAs and their Applications 1: UV-protective Activity of MAAs and their Application as Sunscreens

Abstract

In this chapter, we focus on the UV absorption characteristics of MAAs and describe the application examples. UV rays that pass through the ozone layer and the atmosphere and reach the surface of the Earth consist of UV-A and UV-B. Because these rays are harmful to biomolecules, MAAs, which can efficiently absorb these wavelength regions and detoxify their by-products, are promising natural organic compounds such as sunscreens. Products containing MAAs extracted from red algae are already on the market. With a focus on Helioguard 365 and HELINORI, the biological effects of MAAs against UV irradiation will be described.

Keywords: Collagen, DNA damage, Elastin, Helioguard 365, HELINORI, Melanin, Melanocyte, Photoaging, Porphyra umbilicalis, Red alga, UV-A, UV-B, UV-C.