Table 1.

Solar (ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), and visible light (VIS)) protection effects of Polypodium leucotomos (PL) and molecular target.

UV Effects Tissue/Cellular/Molecular Target	PL Counteracts UV-Effects	References
DNA damage	Inhibit of DNA mutations	[65,68]
	Inhibit accumulation of CPD	[65,68,76]
	Inhibit of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine	[65]
	Inhibit of mtDNA mutations	[31]
Inflammation	Inhibit of TNF-α, iNOS, NF-κB, AP-1, COX-2	[35,57,65]
	Decrease mast cell, neutrophils, and macrophage infiltration	[59,61,62]
	Inhibit of PUVA induced vasodilation	[71]
Immunosuppression	Inhibit of UVR-mediated Langerhans cell depletion	[67,68,77]
	Protect DCs from UV-induced apoptosis	[66,67,68]
	Induce DCs production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-12)	[80]
	Reduce of glutathione oxidation in blood and epidermis	[66]
	Interfere the cis-UCA isomerization	[81]
Photo Carcinogenesis	Reduce the number of mice showing skin tumors at 8 weeks after the cessation of chronic UVB exposure	[75]
	Increase the number of p53(+) cells	[63,65,82]
	Increase TIMP	[65]
	Inhibit of angiogenesis	[77]
	Inhibit of epidermal cell proliferation	[68,76]
	Enhance the antioxidant plasma capacity	[71,82]
UV–ECM damage	Inhibit MMP-1 (also in melanoma cells)	[78,83]
	Increase TIMP (also in melanoma cells)	[78]
	Increase the synthesis of types I, III, and V collagen	[78]
IR–VIS Effects Tissue/Cellular/Molecular Target	PL Counteracts IR–VIS Effects	[84]
UV–ECM damage	Inhibit MMP-1	[84]

mtDNA, mitochondrial DNA; ECM, extracellular matrix; CPD, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; iNOS, isoforms of nitric oxide synthase; NF-κB, nuclear factor kappa beta; AP-1, activator protein-1; COX-2, cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme; PUVA, Psoralens + UVA; DC, dendritic cells; UVR, ultraviolet Radiation; UCA, urocanic acid; MMP-1, matrix metalloproteinase-1; TIMP, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase.