Enhanced protection of human cells against ultraviolet light by antioxidant combinations involving dietary carotenoids.

Antioxidants like beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid should be able to protect human cells against damage due to ultraviolet light. Cultured human fibroblasts have been irradiated with UVA or UVB light after incubation with the antioxidants or combinations of them. The efficiency of the protection by the antioxidants in dietary concentrations is estimated by cell counting following cell culture. In the case of UVA irradiation we find synergistic effects of combinations with beta-carotene as the main protector. On the other hand, only additive effects of the tested combinations are observed in the experiments with UVB light. Our experiments show a protective effect of dietary antioxidants against human tissue cell damage by ultraviolet light.