Tamarillo Extract Cream Mitigates UVB-Induced Hyperpigmentation in Guinea Pigs

Aims: To evaluate the effect of tamarillo fruit ethanol extract cream on the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), tyrosinase enzyme, and melanin in the skin of male guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.

Study Design: Randomized post-test only control group design.

Place and Duration of Study: Food Analysis Laboratory, Faculty of Agricultural Technology; Integrated Biomedical Laboratory Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University; between September 2024 and December 2024.

Methodology: We included 25 locally bred male guinea pigs, aged three to four months, weighing between 300 and 350 grams, in healthy condition. They were divided into five groups: normal control group (K0), negative control group (K-), and treatment groups administered tamarillo fruit ethanol extract cream at concentrations of 7.5% (P1), 15% (P2), and 30% (P3). K-, P1, P2, and P3 groups were exposed to UVB radiation at a total dose of 390 mJ/cm2 for two weeks. The levels of MDA and the tyrosinase enzyme were measured using the ELISA method, while melanin levels were measured by the Fontana-Masson staining method. Data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA test followed by a post-hoc test.

Results: The levels of MDA, tyrosinase enzyme, and melanin in K0, P1, P2, and P3 groups were significantly lower compared to group K-. Tyrosinase levels in the 30% treatment group were not significantly different from the 15% group but were lower than the 7.5% group. All three concentrations of tamarillo extract cream (7.5%, 15%, 30%) had the same effectiveness in reducing melanin levels in UVB-exposed guinea pigs.

Conclusion: Tamarillo fruit ethanol extract cream effectively reduced MDA, tyrosinase, and melanin levels in guinea pigs exposed to UVB radiation. The 15% concentration showed potential in preventing hyperpigmentation and could serve as a natural sunscreen. Further research is required to confirm this finding in human use.