IMR Press / FBL / Volume 7 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.2741/afaq

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
Botanical antioxidants for chemoprevention of photocarcinogenesis
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1 Department of Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University and The Research Institute of University Hospitals of Cleveland, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2002, 7(4), 784–792; https://doi.org/10.2741/afaq
Published: 1 April 2002
Abstract

The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer, consisting of basal- and squamous- cell carcinoma, continues to increase in the United States and elsewhere. Solar ultraviolet (UV) B radiation has been implicated as its main cause. This adverse effect of UVB has become a major human health concern. Therefore, development of novel strategies to reduce the occurrence of skin cancer is a highly desirable goal. Because UV radiation is known to cause excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) thereby resulting in an oxidative stress condition, the approaches aimed at counteracting ROS production may be useful for the prevention of skin cancer. One approach to reduce its occurrence is through 'Photochemoprotection', which we define as 'the use of agents capable of ameliorating the adverse effects of UVB on the skin'. Among many photochemoprotective agents, botanical antioxidants are showing promise. We propose that the use of botanical antioxidants, in combination with the use of sunscreens and educational efforts to avoid excessive sun exposure, may be an effective strategy for reduction of incidence of skin cancer and other UV-mediated damage in humans.

Keywords
Ultraviolet radiation
Photochemoprevention
Photocarcinogenesis
Reactive oxygen species
Skin cancer
Botanical antioxidants
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