TiO2-embedded mesoporous silica with lower porosity is beneficial to adsorb the pollutants and retard UV filter absorption: A possible application for outdoor skin protection

Ahmed Alalaiwe; Yu-Chih Lin; Chwan-Fwu Lin; Chih-Chi Huang; Pei-Wen Wang; Jia-You Fang

doi:10.1016/j.ejps.2022.106344

TiO₂-embedded mesoporous silica with lower porosity is beneficial to adsorb the pollutants and retard UV filter absorption: A possible application for outdoor skin protection

Eur J Pharm Sci. 2023 Jan 1:180:106344. doi: 10.1016/j.ejps.2022.106344. Epub 2022 Nov 29.

Authors

Ahmed Alalaiwe¹, Yu-Chih Lin², Chwan-Fwu Lin³, Chih-Chi Huang⁴, Pei-Wen Wang⁵, Jia-You Fang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
³ Department of Cosmetic Science, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Research Center for Food and Cosmetic Safety and Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan,, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
⁴ Pharmaceutics Laboratory, Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁶ Research Center for Food and Cosmetic Safety and Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan,, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Pharmaceutics Laboratory, Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: fajy@mail.cgu.edu.tw.

PMID: 36455708
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2022.106344

Abstract

The purpose of the current investigation was to develop multifunctional TiO₂-embedded mesoporous silica incorporating avobenzone to protect against environmental stress through pollutant adsorption and UVA protection. We sought to explore the effect of the mesoporous porosity on the capability of contaminant capture and the suppression of avobenzone skin penetration. The porosity of the mesoporous silica was tuned by adjusting the ratio of template triblock copolymers (Pluronic P123 and F68). The Pluronic P123:F68 ratios of 3:1, 2:2, and 1:3 produced mesoporous silica with pore volumes of 0.66 (TiO₂/SBA-L), 0.47 (TiO₂/SBA-M), and 0.25 (TiO₂/SBA-S) cm³/g, respectively. X-ray scattering and electron microscopy confirmed the SBA-15 structure of the as-prepared material had a size of 3-5 μm. The maximum adsorbability of fluoranthene and methylene blue was found to be 43% and 53% for the TiO₂/SBA-S under UVA light, respectively. The avobenzone loaded into the mesoporous silica demonstrated the synergistic effect of in vitro UVA protection, reaching an UVA/UVB absorbance ratio of near 1.5 (Boots star rating = 5). The encapsulation of avobenzone into the TiO₂/SBA-S lessened cutaneous avobenzone absorption from 0.76 to 0.50 nmol/mg, whereas no reduction was detected for the TiO₂/SBA-L. The avobenzone-loaded TiO₂/SBA-S hydrogel exhibited a greater improvement in skin barrier recovery and proinflammatory mediator mitigation compared to the SBA-S hydrogel (without TiO₂). The cytokines/chemokines in the photoaged skin were reduced by two- to three-fold after TiO₂/SBA-S treatment compared to the non-treatment control. Our data suggested that the mesoporous formulation with low porosity and a specific surface area showed effective adsorbability and UVA protection, with reduced UVA filter absorption. The versatility of the developed mesoporous system indicated a promising potential for outdoor skin protection.

Keywords: Avobenzone; Mesoporous silica; Sunscreen; TiO(2); UVA.

MeSH terms

Environmental Pollutants*
Porosity
Propiophenones* / chemistry
Silicon Dioxide / chemistry
Skin Absorption

Substances

Environmental Pollutants
Silicon Dioxide
avobenzone
Propiophenones
pluronic block copolymer P123