Clothing is considered one of the most important tools for photoprotection against harmful solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). The standard for sun-protective clothing is based on erythema despite other biological effects of UVR on the skin. We analyzed the potential protection against UVR in fabrics destined for summer clothing based on several action spectra. We examined 50 garments classified by type of fabric composition, structure of the fiber yarn and color. The ultraviolet protection factor was calculated based on fabric ultraviolet transmittance corrected for erythema according to the EU standard E-13758 as well as the UVA transmittance of fabrics. UVR protection was also analyzed in base of different action spectra as for previtamin D3, nonmelanoma skin cancer, photoimmunosuppression and photoaging. Most knitted fabrics used for sports T-shirts offered excellent ratings for ultraviolet protection while normal shirts showed very low ratings, particularly against photoaging. The cover is the most influential variable in fabric photoprotection, having an exponential relationship with the UPF. The relation between cover and UVA protection was linearly negative. Information about ultraviolet protection in textiles used for summer clothing should be included in labeling as some types of fabrics, especially those used for shirts, offer very low UVR protection.

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The rising incidence of skin cancers attributable to excessive sun exposure has become a major health concern worldwide. While numerous studies have analyzed the sun protective effect of sunscreens, clothing and antioxidants, none to date have measured the photoprotective effect of hair, despite clinical evidence that individuals with balding or thinning hair are at greater risk of skin lesions that can progress to cancer, hence the recommendation to use hats or umbrellas. We analyzed the level of protection offered by hair according to hair density, thickness and color using the spectral transmittance and corrected for relative erythema effectiveness. Our results show that hair provides a barrier against both UVB and UVA radiation which is significantly increased with respect to the hair density, thickness and the presence of melanins. This is the first study to quantify sun protection factor offered by hair, namely hair ultraviolet protection factor (HUPF). We believe that hair should be recognized as an important natural sun barrier in the prevention of UV-induced skin cancers.

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Parthenocarpic peach fruit (Prunus persica L. Batsch., cv. Redhaven) were induced with 1-(3-chlorophthalimide)-cyclohexane carboxamide (AC 94377). The activities of soluble, and ionically and covalently bound peroxidase and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) oxidase in the pericarp of both seeded and parthenocarpic fruit were determined from 21-43 days after anthesis. Seedless fruit grew faster during early stage I and ceased growth earlier than seeded fruit. Total peroxidase and IAA oxidase activities increased with development on both types of fruit, but higher values were found in seedless fruit. The ionic fraction showed the greatest increase for both enzyme activities. Isoperoxidase profile showed new cationic isoenzymes and higher levels of the less anionic isoenzymes in the pericarp of seedless fruit, whereas the seeded fruit contained higher levels of the more acidic isoperoxidases.