Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids for Skin Photoprotection

BACKGROUND: Excessive human exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) con-tinues to be a major public health concern, with skin cancer rates increasing year on year. The major protective measure is the use of synthetic UVR filters formulated into sunscreens, but there is a growing concern that some of these chemicals cause damage to delicate marine ecosystems. One alternative is the use of biocompatible mycosporine-like amino acids (MAA), which occur naturally in a wide range of marine species. Their role within nature is mainly thought to be photoprotective. However, their potential for human photoprotection is largely understudied. OBJECTIVE: To review the role of MAA in nature and assess their potential as natural sun-screens for human skin photoprotection. METHOD: A literature review of all relevant papers was conducted. CONCLUSION: MAA are natural photostable compounds that are thought to offer photopro-tection to marine species. Initially thought of as protective based on their absorption prop-erties in the solar UVR spectrum, it is clear that MAA are multifunctional photoprotective compounds acting as chemical and biological anti-oxidants. This suggests that MAA may offer a novel eco-friendly approach to human skin photoprotection. Most studies have been carried out in vitro and current data strongly suggest that MAA have potential for de-velopment as natural biocompatible sunscreens that protect against a diverse range of solar UVR induced adverse effects on human health.