Author(s)

Bruno de Almeida Andrade¹, Allan Jonathan Chernichiarro Corrêa¹, Ana Klarissa Soares Gomes¹, Patrícia Maria da Silva Neri Cruz¹, Aline Michaele de Saint-George Albuquerque Cheron¹, Valerium Thijan Nobre de Almeidae Castro², Décio Henrique Araújo Salvadôr de Mello¹, Cláudia Sampaio de Andrade Lima³, Ricardo Yara⁴, Elba Lúcia Cavalcanti de Amorim^1*

¹Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
²Pharmacy Course, Mauricio de Nassau University Center, Recife, Brazil.
³Department of Biophysics, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
⁴Departament of Biomedical Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.

The use of medicinal plants as therapeutic and economic resources has been on the rise in recent years. In Brazil, however, increasing doubt is being cast on the quality of these products, owing to the prevalence of adulteration and fraud. Solar radiation can cause serious damage to human skin, as a result, mostly, of ultraviolet light, which is a cause of skin cancer. Photoprotective substances are capable of absorbing, reflecting, or refracting ultraviolet radiation and thus protecting skin from exposure to sunlight. The present study aimed to characterize samples and examine the phytochemical profile and photoprotective potential of bark and leaves of Erythrina velutina Willd. The samples underwent five extraction methods using 80% ethanol. The phenolic content was measured using spectrophotometry. Antioxidant activity was examined using the DPPH and the photoprotective properties of the plant extracts were assessed using the method developed by Mansur. There was a quantitative difference in some groups of metabolites, with higher levels of tannin in the bark and of flavonoids in the leaves. The latter showed greater DPPH free radical scavenging capacity than the bark, although higher levels of SPF were obtained from the bark, with no statistically significant differences between methods. The results indicate that Erythrina velutina Willd. has potential as a photoprotector.

Phytochemical, Caatinga, Phytochemistry, Sun Protection Factor (SPF)

de Almeida Andrade, B. , Corrêa, A. , Gomes, A. , da Silva Neri Cruz, P. , de Saint-George Albuquerque Cheron, A. , de Almeidae Castro, V. , de Mello, D. , de Andrade Lima, C. , Yara, R. and de Amorim, E. (2023) The Phytochemical Profile and Photoprotective Potential of Bark and Leaves of Erythrina velutina Willd.—A Medicinal Species from the Caatinga Region of Brazil. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 11, 325-342. doi: 10.4236/jbm.2023.1112025.