An evaluation of Delphinol®, a natural plant remedy, for the topical use in UV light protection

Principal Investigator: dr Aleksandar Pavic

Delphinol, a natural remedy, presents an extract of maqui berries plant (Aristotelia chilensis) which is a growing tree species in the rainforest and at high attitude landscapes of Argentina and Chile. Owing to the unique chemical composition, particularly to high anthocyanins content, the maqui berries extract possesses very strong antioxidative activity. In order to evaluate the potential protective effect of Delphinol as a topical agent against UV radiation and UV radiation-caused skin hyperpigmentations, we addressed its toxicity and antimelanogenic activity in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. The results obtained in this study revealed that Delphinol was no toxic at high doses, neither affected the treated embryos survival, development or their cardiovascular functions. On the other side, Delphinol failed to inhibit the melanin synthesis in the treated zebrafish embryos, even when applied at high doses, indicating that it has no the potential to prevent an appearance of the UV radiation-caused skin hyperpigmentation.