Fabrication and Determination of the Sun Protection Factor and Ultraviolet Protection Factor for Piscean Collagen/Bischalcone Derivative (B1) Composite Films with Wide-Range UV Shielding.

The present study investigates the development of distinct UV-A and UV-B radiation filtering materials through the introduction of a heterocyclic bischalcone derivative [(3,5-bis{[4-(methylsulfanyl)phenyl]methylidene}piperidin-4-one] () into the matrix of PVA/Piscean collagen blend films (1:1) prepared through the solution casting method and characterized. The dopant concentration varied from 0.25 to 4%. The scanning electron microscopy images showed the rough surface due to the uniform dispersion of dopant . The addition of different concentrations of altered the mechanical strength with a proportional increase in Young's modulus (146-317 MPa), tensile strength (23.3-39.21 MPa), and decrease in its elongation at break (158.8-105.2%). As the dopant belongs to the bischalcone class of compounds which absorb in the UV-vis region (370 nm λ) due to the α, β unsaturated keto group, it was selected for doping. Dopant concentration-dependent increase in density was observed in films (31-162 mg/cm). The bathochromic shift in UV absorption from 370 to 390 nm for λ as well as hyperchromism was evidenced with proportional increase in the concentration of , indicating its capacity to block UV rays. On determining the UV filtering ability for all the prepared films, the one with 4% dopant showed a higher sun protection factor (SPF) with a value of 27.53 and ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) with a value of 58.23. In addition, the degradation of supercoiled PBR322 DNA on UV irradiation was effectively inhibited by these films with a dopant concentration of 0.5-4.0%, which might cause less harm to the skin. The inferences of the experiments would indicate the use of these water-insoluble films as UV blocking potential materials with a merit of SPF and UPF characteristics.