# Antioxidative and Photoprotective Activity of _Pinus nigra_, _Pinus strobus_ and _Pinus mugo_
## 4 Discussion  
People pay attention to their appearance, to ensure better well-being and better acceptance by others. They are looking for products containing antioxidants, i.e., ingredients that have beneficial effects on appearance. In order to meet consumer expectations, raw materials, especially those of natural origin, are sought. Such products should demonstrate antioxidant activity, and delay the aging process of the body. Due to the constant exposure of our body to UV radiation, it would be important to find a raw material that will exhibit both photoprotective and antioxidant activity [49; 50]. The combination of sunscreens with antioxidant agents may also be helpful for decreasing the risk of skin cancer or other skin damage caused by UV radiation [51; 52]. This type of study seems to be helpful in developing new anti-aging cosmetics. Such studies are scarce; however, recently, some papers on an in vitro comparison of the antioxidant potential and sun protection factor of different plants have been published [52; 53; 54; 55; 56]. Therefore, we decided to compare the antioxidant activity and photoprotective parameters in vitro of extracts from three selected pine species, i.e., _Pinus strobus_, _Pinus nigra_, and _Pinus mugo_. To prepare the extracts, four short-chain aliphatic alcohols, namely, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, and isopropanol, were applied, each at three concentration: 40% (\(v/v\)), 70% (\(v/v\)), and concentrated. Ultrasound-assisted extraction for 15, 30, or 60 min was used. This method belongs to the green extraction techniques due to the low energy consumption and high efficiency [57; 58; 59]. In the present study, the higher antioxidant activity determined by the DPPH method was found for extracts prepared in diluted alcohols. This was observed for all pinees evaluated in the study. The highest activity among the _Pinus strobus_ extracts was found for extracts in 40% methanol after one hour of extraction. The highest antioxidant potential evaluated by the ABTS method was also found for extracts in the same extractant, but  
Figure 12: Correlation between the evaluated antioxidant activities, polyphenol content, and sun protection factors for _Pinus mugo_ alcoholic extracts. after 15 min of extraction--these values were significantly higher than those determined by the DPPH method. Moreover, a significant correlation between the results obtained by these two methods was found (r = 0.81). With regard to the _SPF_, this parameter was higher for extracts in diluted alcohols except methanol--for this alcohol used as extractant, the highest value was found for the extract in undiluted methanol after 60 min of extraction. It should be added that a statistically significant correlation was found between the _SPF_ and activity determined with either the DPPH (r = 0.94) or ABTS method (r = 0.79). [PERSON] at al. [60] evaluated the antioxidant potential of essential oil isolated from the needles of ten Pinus taxa by steam distillation. They also found higher activity obtained by the ABTS method as compared with the DPPH one. A statistically significant correlation between these results was also observed (r = 0.66) [60]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] evaluated the total phenolic content in the extract of, among others, _Pinus strobus_ needles in 80% acetone [61]. They found that _P. strobus_ extract contained more total phenols of 157 \(\pm\) 2 mg gallic acid/ g powder (dry extract), and this value was higher compared with _P. pinea_, _P. koraiensis_, _P. silvestris_, and _P. densiflora_[61]. In our study on _Pinus nigra_ extracts in short-chain alcohols, the higher antioxidant activity was found for extracts in diluted alcohols; however, this parameter, evaluated either with the DPPH or ABTS methods, slightly increased with the extension of the extraction time. This activity evaluated either with the DPPH or ABTS method was the highest for extract in 40% methanol after the one-hour ultrasound-assisted extraction.