Evaluation of Protective Effects of Nano-formulated Silymarin Against UV Radiation on Guinea Pig Skin

Background: as increased outdoor activities of people, they are more exposed to uv radiation, which causes harmful effects on skin. silymarin has protective potentials against dna damage and non-melanoma skin cancers, and also it has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune regulation characteristics. nano formulation of plant material showed to be more effective than common ones.objective: in present study, nano-formulated silymarin was used in a cream, and its effects were investigated against destructive effects of uv rays.methods: silymarin standardized extract was prepared, nano formulated in cream base, and applied to skin of the animals. four groups of animals (n=15) were examined; group 1; without any treatment (control), group 2; vaseline, group 3; nano-formulated silymarin extract cream, and group 4; silymarin-carnosine. uv was radiated on the shaved area of the four groups for 45 minutes with dose of 180 mj/cm2. dermal scaling, skin irregularity, erythema, skin hyperpigmentation, and edema were evaluated in animals. histopathological observation was done on the skin samples of the animals.results: silymarin nano-formulation was effective in decreasing both physical damages and histopathological injuries significantly.conclusion: from the observed results, it can be concluded that the cream containing nano-formulated silymarin can prevent uv radiation lesions better than pure silymarin.