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TITLE
UV-FILTERS - NEW UV FILTERS AND THEIR PRODUCTION METHOD

HIGHLIGHTS
Valuation of cod bones, a by-product of the food industry in Portugal, for the production of
a product that absorbs UV radiation, through a highly innovative process.

CONTEXT
Portugal is the world's largest consumer of cod, generating in its processing huge amounts of
pimples, a byproduct that can be valued, since its main component is hydroxyapatite, a calcium
phosphate with high biocompatibility and bioactivity, widely used in biomedicine. Due to these
properties, HAp is a very suitable material for the production of a sunscreen. In the genesis of this
investigation was the concern to develop a sunscreen with less impact on the environment and
that, unlike some commercial products, did not generate free radicals. In recent years, a number
of warnings have been published about the accumulation of conventional sunscreens in the
environment, for example in coastal waters, which are especially damaging to ecosystems. The
use of innovative sunscreens based on natural components can help alleviate this problem.

BENEFITS
A by-product of the Portuguese food industry, cod spines, has been prized to produce a product
that absorbs UV radiation through a relatively simple yet highly innovative process. As HAp, the
main component of the pimples, does not absorb UV light, it was necessary to modify the material
to confer this property.

PROOF OF CONCEPT
FEHAP UV-Vis spectra have shown that the new product absorbs the entire UV region, and also
partially in the visible region. Under any irradiation of UV or white light, the powder did not show
any photocatalytic activity, indicating that no free radicals and / or other reactive species were
generated. Considering, for example, the incorporation of the powder into a cream that will be in
contact with the skin, this feature makes the product safer than other commercial inorganic
sunscreens such as TiO2 or ZnO.
The FEHAP powder was subjected to a milling treatment to reduce and standardize the particle
size and was subsequently incorporated into a cream. This cream was also able to absorb
throughout the UV range and therefore could be used as a sunscreen cream. Based on the values
of the selected UV absorption
a 5-star rating on the Boots Star Rating system. Irradiation of the cream did not significantly affect
its UV absorption properties, showing stability, an essential property for a sunscreen cream. To
assess the potential for skin irritation, the cream was tested on healthy volunteers and the results
showed that it did not cause erythema formation or other forms of skin irritation.

The solution developed has innovative features, since, for the first time:
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 A sunscreen was manufactured with a by-product from the food industry - unlike other
commercial inorganic sunscreens, FEHAP powder absorbs the entire UV range, both UVA
(320-400 nm) and UVB (280-320 nm).

 A powdered material made of HAp, Fe2O3 and Ca9FeH (PO4) 7 was tested as sunscreen
and incorporated into a cream.

 Although the protection intensity has not yet reached the commercials and is currently
under study for the properties described above, the product has the potential to reach the
market.

POTENCIAL COMMERCIAL USE /APPLICATIONS

The product produced from cod spines (FEHAP) is a powder that absorbs UV radiation and
therefore can be used as sunscreen. To assess its potential as an active sunscreen component, the
product obtained was incorporated into a cream. However, the potential applications of FEHAP
are more extensive, and their application in the textile and biomedicine sectors is foreseen.

INVENTORS AND RESEARCH UNIT

Clara Piccirillo, Manuela Pintado, Paula Castro, Eduardo Luís Cardoso

CBQF - Escola Superior de Biotecnologia - Universidade Católica Portuguesa

COOPERATION OPTIONS
Sell the patent application

Licensing the exploitation rights

PATENT STATUS
Provisional Patent Application, International Patent Application, European Patent Application.

CONTACTS (ESB) E-MAIL PHONE

Eduardo Luís Cardoso ecardoso@porto.ucp.pt +351 22 55 800 71