ISSN - 0975-7058 Vol 10, Special Issue 1, 2018 ISSN - 0975-7058 IN VIVO ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF NANOSTRUCTURED LIPID CARRIER-BASED GEL OF MULBERRY ROOT EXTRACT AGAINST ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT FAIZATUN FAIZATUN 1 , EFFIONORA ANWAR 2 *, LIZA INDAH MERDIYAH 1 1 Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Pancasila, 12640, Jakarta, Indonesia. 2 Department of Pharmacy, Faculty Pharmacy, Universitas Indonesia, 16424, Depok, Indonesia. Email: effionora.anwar@farmasi.ui.ac.id Received: 21 June 2018, Revised and Accepted: 19 October 2018 ABSTRACT Objective: This study aimed to analyze the in vivo anti-ultraviolet (UV) activity of nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) of mulberry extract on six New Zealand rabbits. Methods: Mulberry roots were treated with 96% ethanol using a maceration-ultrasonication method, and the extract was transformed into NLCs using the solvent evaporation method. The NLC was characterized for particle size and polydispersity index and zeta potential. The morphology of nanoparticles was examined using transmission electron microscope and subsequently in the NLC-based gel preparation. The gel was evaluated in vivo for anti-UV activity on male rabbits in three treatment groups: Positive control, sample gel, and negative control (exposed to UV light for 6 h). The anti-UV activity was scored as a skin erythema response using Dermalab ® , and the results were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney methods. Results: The particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential of the NLC were quantified as 203.2 nm, 0.264, and −38.7 mV, respectively. The viscosity of the gel was 42,500 cps, with pseudoplastic thixotropic flow properties including the spreading ability, particle size 5156.81 mm, and pH 5.92, respectively. The anti-UV activity was determined as 0.22, 1.44, and 2.22 for the positive control, NLC-based gel, and negative control groups, respectively. Conclusion: The anti-UV activity of NLC-based gel of mulberry root extract was very small on areas where erythema had formed and differed significantly between the positive and negative control groups (p<0.05). Keywords: Mulberry root, Morus alba L, Sunscreen, Nanostructured lipid carrier, Erythema value. INTRODUCTION Mulberry (Morus alba L.) root extracts have been widely used as an antiviral, antityrosinase, antioxidant, antitumor, and neuroprotective agent; it is also reported to prevent damage to DNA [1-6]. Some mulberry roots contain stilbenoids and polyphenols [3]. The stilbene and polyphenol derivatives in mulberry have been studied in leaves, branches, stems, and roots and occur in the highest concentration in roots [7]. Several classes of active antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, anthraquinones, and cinnamate have been reported to protect against ultraviolet (UV) light [8]. Flavonoids protect against UV light due to the presence of chromophore groups. A chromophore group is a conjugated aromatic system that absorbs both UV A-long wave and UV B-short wave [8]. The use of antioxidants in sunscreen preparations is reported to boost the photoprotective activity of the sunscreen, thus preventing various illnesses caused by UV irradiation. In this study, we aimed to transform mulberry root extract into nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). An NLC is a drug delivery system consisting of a mixture of solid and aqueous lipids, in which the active ingredient is absorbed into a surfactant-stabilized lipid matrix. The mixture of solid and aqueous lipids was chosen because it is a modified form of solid lipid nanoparticle, in which the aqueous lipids will disrupt the perfect structure of the solid lipids, resulting in an imperfect matrix that enables the active ingredient to be further absorbed into the carrier lipid. Using a lipid form of nanoparticle preparation has several advantages; it increases the amount of drug load, minimizes damage to the active compound during storage, has a high effectiveness, and does not cause irritation to the topical application [9]. Furthermore, we examine the in vivo anti-UV activity of the NLC of mulberry root extract with erythema observation on the skin of test animals in response to UV. MATERIALS AND METHODS Materials Stearic acid (SA) (Sumi Asih Oleochemical Industry, Indonesia) was used as the solid lipid in the NLC, whereas virgin coconut oil (VCO) (Herba Bagoes Company, Indonesia) was used as an aqueous lipid in the NLC. Plantacare ® 1200 UP (BASF, Germany), Carbopol 940 (Lubrizol, USA), triethanolamine (Lubrizol, USA), propylene glycol (Dow Chemical, USA), methylparaben and propylparaben (Ueno Fine Chemical, Thailand), Uvinul ® MC 80 (BASF, Germany), and ethanol (Merck, Germany) were purchased for the indicated manufacturers. Preparation of mulberry root extract Mulberry roots were macerated and subjected to ultrasonication using ethanol 96% solvent (Merck, Germany) at ratio mulberry root:ethanol 1:5. Maceration of root extracts was repeated 3 times. The extract was concentrated using a rotary vacuum evaporator. Formulation of NLC The NLC was prepared through the solvent diffusion method in an aqueous system. The mulberry root extract was dissolved in acetone, mixed with SA-VCO, and incubated in a water bath at 70°C. The aqueous phase was prepared by dissolving Plantacare ® 1200 UP in distilled water at 70°C. Subsequently, the organic phase was quickly dispersed into the aqueous phase with magnetic stirring at 600 rpm, followed by stirring with an Ultra-Turrax at 20,000 rpm. After removing the Research Article © 2018 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4. 0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2018.v10s1.57 The 2 nd Physics and Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry Symposium (PTMDS), Universitas Indonesia. Depok, Indonesia