Author(s)

Shenru Yang

Corresponding Author

Shenru Yang

Abstract

This study introduces a novel UV-responsive smart whitening nanoemulsion that addresses the limitations of conventional whitening products. The system uses UV light as a precise trigger to switch a photosensitive arbutin prodrug from a hydrophobic state to a hydrophilic one, enabling its "on-demand" release. The prodrug was synthesized with high purity (96.2%), confirmed by FTIR and HPLC. The nanoemulsion demonstrated excellent stability and a small (56.3nm), uniform doplet size distribution (with a polydispersity index of 0.185), as shown by DLS and Zeta potential analysis. In vitro experiments confirmed the system's intelligent nature, with arbutin release occurring efficiently only when triggered by UV light. Cellular studies, including an MTT assay, showed good biocompatibility and significant inhibition of tyrosinase activity and melanin production comparable to free arbutin. This research successfully integrates photo-responsive materials and nanoemulsion technology to create a light-controlled, precise, and on-demand whitening system, which offers a revolutionary solution for next-generation skincare.

Keywords

UV-responsive nanoemulsion; Photocaged arbutin prodrug; On-demand release; Photo-controlled drug delivery; Tyrosinase inhibition; Melanin suppression; Smart whitening system