ARS | Publication request: SUNSCREEN ACTIVE DERIVED FROM SOYBEAN OIL AND FERULIC ACID: SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATIONS

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: November 2, 2005
Publication Date: November 2, 2005
Citation: Laszlo, J.A., Compton, D.L., Willis, R.A. 2005. Sunscreen active derived from soybean oil and ferulic acid: Synthesis and applications. Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease, Chicago, IL. p. 51

Technical Abstract: Ferulic acid is a natural plant phenol widely heralded for its ability to serve as a potent antioxidant. However, the low solubility of ferulic acid in lipids prevents it from protecting lipid membranes and associated structures. In its esterified forms, ferulic acid strongly absorbs light within the ultraviolet (UV) region, which suggests that it may serve as a natural sunscreen agent. This research describes the enzymatic formation of stable bonds of ferulic acid with soybean oil. The UV absorbing soybean oil is under investigation for potential use as an all natural replacement for synthetic sunscreen active ingredients, as a natural UV protectant for insecticidal biocontrol agents, as an anti-oxidant in food frying, and as a bio-based industrial lubricant. Many potential human health applications have yet to be explored.