Formulation and Characteristics of Sunscreen Cream based on Isolated Lignin from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) : Formulation and Characteristics of Sunscreen Cream

Witta Kartika Restu; Felli Rusumayanti; Melati Septiyanti; Muryanto; Nurhani Aryana; Rista Siti Mawarni; Yenny Meliana; Dewi Sondari; Widya Fatriasari; Chiaki Ogino

doi:10.55981/jsmi.2025.6199

Authors

Witta Kartika Restu Research Center for Chemistry - BRIN
Felli Rusumayanti Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Pertamina University
Melati Septiyanti Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Puspiptek Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, 15314, Indonesia
Muryanto Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Puspiptek Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, 15314, Indonesia
Nurhani Aryana Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Puspiptek Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, 15314, Indonesia
Rista Siti Mawarni Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Puspiptek Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, 15314, Indonesia
Yenny Meliana Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Puspiptek Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, 15314, Indonesia
Dewi Sondari Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Puspiptek Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, 15314, Indonesia
Widya Fatriasari Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Puspiptek Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, 15314, Indonesia
Chiaki Ogino Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Puspiptek Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, 15314, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55981/jsmi.2025.6199

Keywords:

Lignin, Black liquor, Sunscreen cream, Sun protection factor (SPF), Antioxidant

Abstract

Lignin was recovered from black liquor during the biorefinery process and has prospective applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and health care. Lignin, which has substantially smaller particles, was used as the active ingredient in the sunscreen cream formulation. The isolated lignin was examined for physicochemical parameters such as yield, purity, particle size, total phenol, and morphology. The obtained lignin was used in the preparation of sunscreen cream. The isolated lignin concentration in the cream varied between 0.1, 1, and 2 wt%. The sun protection factor (SPF) of the designed sunscreen creams was assessed, and antioxidant activity and stability were studied, which included pH, particle size, and appearance during the observation period. The formulated cream has an SPF of approximately 15, which is sufficient to protect human skin from the sun's UV radiation. Furthermore, the most significant antioxidant activity was found to be 68.94%. As a result, the developed sunscreen cream has the potential for further research because it is composed of natural active ingredients that are safe for humans and the environment.

Downloads

References

[1] P. Widsten, T. Tamminen, and T. Liitiä. "Natural Sunscreens Based on Nanoparticles of Modified Kraft Lignin (CatLignin)." ACS Omega, vol. 5, no. 22, pp. 13438-13446, 2020.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.0c01742

PMid:32548532 PMCid:PMC7288714

[2] D. Piccinino, E. Capecchi, E. Tomaino, S. Gabellone, V. Gigli, D. Avitabile, and R. Saladino. "Nano-Structured Lignin as Green Antioxidant and UV Shielding Ingredient for Sunscreen Applications." Antioxidants, vol. 10 no. 2, 2021.

https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10020274

PMid:33578879 PMCid:PMC7916605

[3] Y. Qian, X. Qiu, and S. Zhu. "Sunscreen Performance of Lignin from Different Technical Resources and Their General Synergistic Effect with Synthetic Sunscreens." ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng., vol. 4, no. 7, pp. 4029-4035, 2016.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b00934

[4] N. Sajinčič, O. Gordobil, A. Simmons, and A. Sandak. "An Exploratory Study of Consumers' Knowledge and Attitudes about Lignin-Based Sunscreens and Bio-Based Skincare Products." Cosmetics, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 78-98, 2021.

https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics8030078

[5] Y. Qian, X. Zhong, Y. Li, and X. Qiu. "Fabrication of uniform lignin colloidal spheres for developing natural broad-spectrum sunscreens with high sun protection factor." Ind. Crops Prod., vol. 101, pp. 54-60, 2017.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.03.001

[6] M.H. Sipponen, H. Lange, C. Crestini, A. Henn, and M. Österberg. "Lignin for Nano- and Microscaled Carrier Systems: Applications, Trends, and Challenges." ChemSusChem., vol. 12, no. 10, pp. 2039-2054, 2019.

https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201900480

PMid:30933420 PMCid:PMC6593669

[7] W.K. Restu, D.S. Setiasih, M. Ghozali, E. Triwulandari, Y. Sampora, A.A. Septevani, W.B. Kusumaningrum, F. Falah, F. Akbar, and M. Septiyanti, and S.D. Yuwono. "Preparation and characterization of edible films from starch nanoparticles and chitosan." Bioinspired, Biomim. Nanobiomaterials, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1-7, 2020.

https://doi.org/10.1680/jbibn.20.00010

[8] M. Ghozali, W.K. Restu, I. Juliana, Y. Meliana, and E. Triwulandari. "Effect of lignin on bio-based/oil-based polymer blends," in Micro and Nanolignin in Aqueous Dispersions and Polymers: Interactions, Properties, and Applications, 2022, pp. 1-14.

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-823702-1.00009-8

[9] W. Xiong, D. Yang, R. Zhong, Y. Li, H. Zhou, and X. Qiu. "Preparation of lignin-based silica composite submicron particles from alkali lignin and sodium silicate in aqueous solution using a direct precipitation method." Ind. Crops Prod., vol. 74, pp. 285-292, 2015.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.05.021

[10] A.J. Ragauskas, G.T. Beckham, M.J. Biddy, R. Chandra, F. Chen, M.F. Davis, B.H. Davison, R.A. Dixon, P. Gilna, M. Keller, P. Langan, A.K. Naskar, J.N. Saddler, T.J. Tschaplinski, G.A. Tuskan, and C.E. Wyman. " Lignin Valorization: Improving Lignin Processing in the Biorefinery." Science, vol. 344, no. 6185, p. 1246843, 2014.

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1246843

PMid:24833396

[11] Y. Zhang and M. Naebe. "Lignin: A Review on Structure, Properties, and Applications as a Light-Colored UV Absorber." ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng., vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 1427-1442, 2021.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c06998

[12] O. Gordobil, P. Olaizola, J.M. Banales, and J. Labidi. "Lignins from Agroindustrial by-Products as Natural Ingredients for Cosmetics: Chemical Structure and In Vitro Sunscreen and Cytotoxic Activities." Molecules, vol. 25, no. 5, 1131-1347, 2020.

https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25051131

PMid:32138316 PMCid:PMC7179166

[13] P. Widsten. "Lignin-Based Sunscreens-State-of-the-Art, Prospects and Challenges." Cosmetics, vol. 7, no. 4, 2020.

https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics7040085

[14] W.K. Restu, E. Triwulandari, and M. Ghozali. "Tropical Biomass for Sunscreen Agent," in Biomass-based Cosmetics: Research Trends and Future Outlook, Springer Nature Singapore Singapore, 2024, pp. 433-458.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-1908-2_18

[15] Y. Qian, X. Qiu, and S. Zhu. "Lignin: a nature-inspired sun blocker for broad-spectrum sunscreens." Green Chem., vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 320-324, 2015.

https://doi.org/10.1039/C4GC01333F

[16] S.C. Lee, T.M.T. Tran, J.W. Choi, and K. Won. "Lignin for white natural sunscreens." Int. J. Biol. Macromol., vol. 122, pp. 549-554, 2019.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.10.184

PMid:30416095

[17] J. Ruwoldt, M. Tanase-Opedal, and K. Syverud. "Ultraviolet Spectrophotometry of Lignin Revisited: Exploring Solvents with Low Harmfulness, Lignin Purity, Hansen Solubility Parameter, and Determination of Phenolic Hydroxyl Groups." ACS Omega, vol. 7, no. 50, pp. 46371-46383, 2022.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c04982

PMid:36570215 PMCid:PMC9773929

[18] N. Siddiqui, A. Rauf, A. Latif, and Z. Mahmood. "Spectrophotometric determination of the total phenolic content, spectral and fluorescence study of the herbal Unani drug Gul-e-Zoofa (Nepeta bracteata Benth)." J. Taibah Univ. Med. Sci., vol. 12, no. 4, 360-363, 2017.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2016.11.006

PMid:31435264 PMCid:PMC6694887

[19] S. Dudonné, X. Vitrac, P. Coutière, M. Woillez, and J.-M. Mérillon. "Comparative Study of Antioxidant Properties and Total Phenolic Content of 30 Plant Extracts of Industrial Interest Using DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, SOD, and ORAC Assays." J. Agric. Food Chem., vol. 57, no. 5, pp. 1768-1774, 2009.

https://doi.org/10.1021/jf803011r

PMid:19199445

[20] A.P. Fonseca and N. Rafaela. "Determination of sun protection factor by UV-vis spectrophotometry." Heal. Care Curr., vol. 1, no. 1, 1-4, 2013.

[21] E.A. Dutra, D.A.G. da Costa e Oliveira, E.R.M. Kedor-HAckmann, M.I.R.M. Santoro. "Determination of sun protection factor (SPF) of sunscreens by ultraviolet spectrophotometry." Revista Brasileira de Ciências Farmacêuticas, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 381-385, 2004.

https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-93322004000300014

Restu et al. │ Jurnal Sains Materi Indonesia │ Vol. 26, Issue 2 (2025)

130 https://ejournal.brin.go.id/jsmi ◄

[22] A.R. Webb, H. Slaper, P. Koepke, and A.W. Schmalwieser. "Know Your Standard: Clarifying the CIE Erythema Action Spectrum." Photochemistry and Photobiology, vol. 87, no. 2, pp. 483-486, 2010.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-1097.2010.00871.x

PMid:21366601

[23] W.K. Restu, M. Ghozali, E. Triwulandari, Y. Sampora, Y.A. Devy, Y. Irawan, and Y. Meliana. "The effect of acid solutions on the physicochemical properties of isolated lignin from black liquor of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) pretreatment." AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 2493, p. 050006, 2022.

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0109972

[24] W.K. Restu, F. Khairunnisa, A. Muawanah, Y.A. Devy, Y. Sampora, E. Triwulandari, M. Ghozali, R.S. Mawarni, N. Masruchin, and D. Sondari. "Isolation and preparation of lignin-based hydrogel derived from biomass waste." AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 2902, p. 050006, 2023.

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0173044

[25] D. Kim, J. Cheon, J. Kim, D. Hwang, I. Hong, O.H. Kwon, W.H. Park, D. Cho. "Extraction and characterization of lignin from black liquor and preparation of biomass-based activated carbon there-from." Carbon Lett., vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 81-88, 2017.

[26] N.A. Sadiku and A.F. Yusuph. "Characterisation of lignins isolated from Bamboo organosolv and kraft black liquor." Maderas Cienc. y Tecnol., vol. 25, pp. 1-14, 2023.

https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-221X2023000100415

[27] R. Maryana, D. Dahnum, E. Triwahyuni, M. Muryanto, T.B. Bardant, A.K. Das, W.A. Rizal, O. Oktaviani, and Y. Sudiyani. "Synthesis of lignin-amine from the waste of pilot plant bioethanol as a green bioadsorbent for lead removal." Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2024.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-024-06026-4

[28] M.N. Mohamad Ibrahim, S.B. Chuah, and W.D. Wan Rosli. "Characterization of Lignin Precipitated From The Soda Black Liquor of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fibers by Various Mineral Acids." ASEAN J. Sci. Technol. Dev., vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 57-67, 2004.

https://doi.org/10.29037/ajstd.92

[29] Z. Zhang, F. Li, J.W. Heo, J. Chen, J.W. Kim, M.S. Kim, and Y.S. Kim. "N-Hydroxysuccinimide-catalyzed facile synthesis of high-phenolic-hydroxyl-content lignin for enhanced antioxidant properties." J. Wood Chem. Technol., vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 35-45, 2023.

https://doi.org/10.1080/02773813.2023.2173781

[30] H. Faustino, N. Gil, C. Baptista, and A.P. Duarte. Antioxidant Activity of Lignin Phenolic Compounds Extracted from Kraft and Sulphite Black Liquors." Molecules, vol. 15, no. 12, pp. 9308-9322.

https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules15129308

PMid:21169882 PMCid:PMC6259474

[31] L. Zhang, J. Chen, Y. Wang, D. Wu, and M. Xu. "Phenolic Extracts from Acacia mangium Bark and Their Antioxidant Activities." Molecules, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 3567-3577, 2010.

https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules15053567

PMid:20657499 PMCid:PMC6257513

[32] X. Lu, X. Gu, and Y. Shi. "A review on lignin antioxidants: Their sources, isolations, antioxidant activities and various applications." Int. J. Biol. Macromol, vol. 210, pp. 716-741, 2022.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.04.228

PMid:35526770

[33] F. Antunes, I.F. Mota, J.F. Fangueiro, G. Lopes, M. Pintado, and P.S. Costa. "From sugarcane to skin: Lignin as a multifunctional ingredient for cosmetic application." Int. J. Biol. Macromol., vol. 234, p. 123592, 2023.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123592

PMid:36773873

[34] N.T. Zulfaidah, E. Lukitaningsih, and A.K. Zulkarnain. "Physical Stability, Photostability, and Sunscreen Effectiveness of Combination Cream of Arabica Green Coffee Bean Extract (Coffea arabica) and Octyl Methoxycinnamate." Maj. Obat Tradis., vol. 28, no. 2, 132-139, 2023.

https://doi.org/10.22146/mot.84443

[35] E. De Cleyn, R. Holm, and G. Van den Mooter. "Shedding a light on the physical stability of suspensions micronised with intensified vibratory milling; A trend observed with decreasing particle size as a function of time." Int. J. Pharm., vol. 603, p. 120687, 2021.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120687

PMid:33965542

Formulation and Characteristics of Sunscreen Cream based on Isolated Lignin from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB)