Indeed, their UV-absorbing properties would allow to create products derived from natural photoprotectors, potentially harmless to the environment and efficient against UV damage.
[4] MAAs are widespread in the microbial world and have been reported in many microorganisms including heterotrophic bacteria,[5] cyanobacteria,[6] microalgae,[7] ascomycetous[8] and basidiomycetous[9] fungi, as well as some multicellular organisms such as macroalgae and marine animals.
[15] It is this light absorbing property that allows MAAs to protect cells from the harmful UV-B and UV-A components of sunlight.
The genetic basis for this implication comes from the observed induction of MAA synthesis when organisms are exposed to UV radiation.
[24] Helioguard™365 containing Porphyra-334 and shinorine derived from Porphyra umbilicalis is already a creme on the market were developed by Mibelle AG biochemistry and shows preventive effects against UVA.
An MAA known as palythine, derived from seaweed, has been found to protect human skin cells from UV radiation even in low concentrations.
[25] "MAAs, in addition to their environmental benefits, appear to be multifunctional photoprotective compounds," says Dr. Karl Lawrence, lead author of a paper on the research.
They also act as potent antioxidants, which is an important property as exposure to solar radiation induces high levels of oxidative stress, and this is something not seen in synthetic filters."
[3] Reactive oxygen species can be created during photosynthesis; further supporting the idea that MAAs provide protection from UV light.
[30] Further studies done in marine cyanobacteria showed that the MAAs synthesized in response to UV-B correlated with an increase in photosynthetic pigments.
[33] Osmotic stress is defined as difficulty maintaining proper fluids in the cell within a hypertonic or hypotonic environment.
[35] Particularly cyanobacteria species that are exposed to desiccation, UV radiation and oxidation stress have been shown to possess MAA’s in an extracellular matrix.