# Antioxidative and Photop Protective In Vitro Potential of Lavandula Angustifolium
## 4 Discussion  
Nowadays, people are paying more and more attention to their physical appearance. It affects not only their appearance but also their well-being. Therefore, opportunities are being sought to ensure a nice, youthful appearance [3, 48]. One way is to use cosmetics containing antioxidants that slow down the skin ageing process, which affects a favourable  
Figure 11: The structural formulas of compounds present in the studied extracts for which antioxidant activity has been described in scientific literature: \(\gamma\)-sitosterol, trans-\(\beta\)-ocimene, 4H-pyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-, 3,7-ocadiene-2,6-diol, 2,6-dimethyl- -D-allose, \(\tau\)-cadinol, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, phytol. Figure 10: The structural formulas of compounds present in studied extracts for which antioxidant activity has been described in the scientific literature: linalool, linalyl acetate, \(\alpha\)-terpineol, geraniol, coumarin, 2H-1-benzopyran-2-one, 7-methoxy-, 4-hexen-1-ol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methyllehenyl)-, 4-hexen-1-ol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methyllehenyl)-, acetate. appearance [49; 50]. Since one of the factors responsible for the formation of free radicals is ultraviolet radiation, it seems beneficial to combine photoprotective properties with antioxidant potential. Formulations with such properties would be helpful for reducing the risk of various skin diseases caused by the adverse effects of UV radiation, including skin cancer [51]. People are looking for agents based on natural raw materials, which are considered to be more safe. Hence, a great interest in cosmetics containing natural ingredients is observed [52]. One of the raw materials of interest is _Lavandula angustifolia_, particularly its Hidcote Blue variety. Studies on this plant have been carried out by many researchers, using different extraction techniques classified as both classical [53; 54] and modern, more ecological (green) techniques [22; 55]. Few studies have included a comparison of different solvents used for the preparation of extracts, so we decided to investigate the in vitro antioxidant and photoprotective activity of extracts from the herbs and flowers of this plant prepared in four low-molecular-weight alcohols, i.e., methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, and isopropanol, using an ultrasound-assisted extraction method categorised as a so-called green extraction technique [56; 57; 58]. To prepare the extracts, 40% (\(v/v\)), 70% (\(v/v\)), and undiluted alcohols were used. These parameters were also determined in the same extracts stored at room temperature away from light after 12 months. Additionally, the composition of the selected extracts was also examined by the GC-MS method to identify the compounds for which antioxidant activity has been previously described in scientific reports. In the presented study, the highest antioxidant potential assayed by the DPPH method and expressed in mg Trolox/g RM in extracts of the _Lavandula angustifolia_ herb determined immediately after their preparation was found in extracts prepared in 40% and 70% isopropanol after a 30 min extraction (3.57 \(\pm\) 0.01 and 3.62 \(\pm\) 0.04 TEAC, respectively) and in 40% isopropanol and 96% ethanol after a 60 min UAE (3.62 \(\pm\) 0.03 and 3.57 \(\pm\) 0.01 TEAC, respectively). For flower extracts evaluated after their preparation, the highest antioxidant potential was found for extracts prepared in concentrated methanol and 70% ethanol following a 15 min UAE (3.78 \(\pm\) 0.05 and 3.71 \(\pm\) 0.09 TEAC, respectively) and in undiluted ethanol and undiluted isopropanol after a 30 min extraction (3.74 \(\pm\) 0.18 and 3.73 \(\pm\) 0.09 TEAC, respectively). The antioxidant potential of _Lavandula angustifolia_ was also evaluated by others. [PERSON] et al. evaluated groups of phytochemicals from the leaf extracts of _Lavandula angustifolia_[59]. Moreover, the antioxidant potential of methanolic extracts was also evaluated by the DPPH method.