Photoprotective Effects of the Combination of Extracts of Rosmarinus Officinalis and Citrus Paradisi (Golite OSP) in a Population from South India: A Case Series

Revathi Dineshkumar¹, Shvedha Manthri¹, Swetha Duraisamy¹, Rajashree Dhar^2*

¹Dermatology, Revathi Hospital, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
²Scientific Services, USV Pvt Ltd., Mumbai, India

*Correspondence author: Rajashree Dhar, Scientific Services, USV Pvt Ltd., Mumbai, India;
Email: [email protected]

Citation: Dineshkumar R, et al. Photoprotective Effects of the Combination of Extracts of Rosmarinus Officinalis and Citrus Paradisi (Golite OSP) in a Population from South India: A Case Series. J Dermatol Res. 2025;6(1):1-6.

Copyright^© 2025 by Dineshkumar R, et al. All rights reserved. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Table 1: Interpretation of the SHI results.

Case Presentation

In the current case series, 9/11 (81.8%) participants were female. The average age of participants was ~40 years (Table 2). Our study population included engineers or farmers with a day-day activities demanding sun exposure of 6-7 hours a day.  Skin type (Fitzpatrick classification) V was observed in 6/11 (54.5%) patients, 4/11 (36.4%) had skin type IV and 1/11 (9.1%) had skin type VI. Four participants (36.4%) presented with maximum hyperpigmentation, two (18.2%) presented with severe hyperpigmentation and five (45.5%) presented with medium hyperpigmentation. All patients had an improvement in the condition (Table 2; Fig. 1). Fig. 2 shows the comparative Images of patients before and after treatment. None of the patients had any adverse effects and none of the participants discontinued medication.

Table 2: Case details.

Figure 1: Improvement in skin pigmentation.

Figure 2: Comparative images of patients before and after treatment with oral sunscreen (Golite OSP).

Discussion

This case series illustrates the therapeutic role of Golite-OSP, an oral photoprotective medication with Rosmarinus officinalis and Citrus paradisi extracts, in improving hyperpigmentation among South Indian subjects. The trial demonstrated an improvement of notable severity of hyperpigmentation, as measured by the Skin Hyperpigmentation Index (SHI), in all patients with improvement throughout the one-month treatment course. There were no significant side effects reported which means that the potential therapeutic application of OSP as an adjunct or alternative to normal sunscreens for the treatment of hyperpigmentation population.

South India receives high amounts of Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) year-round, which, in turn, is responsible for increased levels of sun-induced skin damage, such as hyperpigmentation. Research has shown that exposure to prolonged UVR without proper photoprotection may result in chronic hyperpigmentation, early skin ageing and a higher incidence of skin malignancies [10]. This possibility does not deter surveys that indicate a large number of people do not make sun protective measures a regular habit. A recent survey of photoprotection behaviour in a Spanish school population examined 1,728 questionnaires and found that adolescents presented the highest rate of sunburn (75%), followed by teachers, parents (54.1%) and children (44.1%). Children and parents were more likely to practice photoprotective behaviour, while adolescents showed riskier sun exposure behaviour [11]. Considering the climatic and lifestyle determinants of sun exposure in South India, interventions like oral photoprotective agents present a viable option to enhance skin health and minimize UV-caused damage.

Golite-OSP has proven effective in reducing hyperpigmentation, possibly because of the bioactive molecules in its major components, Rosmarinus officinalis and Citrus paradisi. The mixture of these extracts has been established to confer effective protection against UV-induced damage in cellular models as well as in human studies. An investigation of the effectiveness of this combination in human volunteers reported that 250 mg taken daily resulted in a 34% increase in the Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) after eight weeks and 56% after twelve weeks, showing increased natural resistance of the skin to UV exposure [6]. The results indicate that daily Golite-OSP consumption can reinforce the skin’s defence against UVR.

Golite-OSP’s photoprotective mechanism is largely explained by its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The rosemary extract is rich in carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid, strong scavengers of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) produced by exposure to UV [12]. Such compounds decrease oxidative stress, thereby inhibiting inflammation and DNA damage that is responsible for hyperpigmentation and premature skin ageing. Grapefruit extract, which is flavonoid-rich and contains naringin, is a major contributor to the inhibition of tyrosinase activity, an important enzyme in melanin production, thus preventing hyperpigmentation [13]. The combination has also been shown through studies to decrease UV-induced lipid peroxidation and inhibit cytokine-mediated inflammatory reactions, further establishing its contribution to skin integrity and prevention of UV damage [6].

Unlike superficial sunscreens, whose application efficacy is potentially unpredictable, the systemic adsorption of the phytochemicals provides uniform and more pervading photoprotective mechanisms. Photoprotective systemic drugs like Golite-OSP offer intrinsic cell protection by improving the skin’s defence mechanisms, unlike sunscreen products, which mainly screen out or absorb solar UV on the skin’s surface.

This makes them especially useful for those with sensitive skin or who are prone to adverse reactions to topical products. Unlike traditional photoprotective agents, oral sunscreens have some unique advantages. They provide systemic protection, offering even coverage across the body, as opposed to topical products that depend on proper and consistent application. Moreover, oral drugs like Golite-OSP are free from common topical sunscreen-associated side effects such as skin irritation, pore blockage and inhomogeneous reapplication [14]. This makes them particularly ideal for individuals with sensitive skin or allergic predisposition. From these advantages, oral photoprotective agents can be another method employed in combination with conventional sunscreens to complement overall skin protective measures.

Limitations

The number of cases presented is a small number and is not representative of the whole population. The duration of sun exposure could not be captured since it was subjective. High quality images could not be obtained using a standardized methodology and this hindered accurate estimation of the SHI across different visits. The short duration of only one month is another limitation and need to be followed up for longer duration for further evaluation of the improvement in the hyperpigmentation.

Conclusion

Golite-OSP is a promising treatment for hyperpigmentation in high-UV areas such as South India. Its ability to decrease pigmentation, good safety profile and systemic photoprotective advantages make it an attractive alternative or adjunct to traditional topical sunscreens. However, the long-term benefits of this agent and comparisons with other photoprotective agents need further investigation.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest for this paper. Dr. Rajashree Dhar is an employee of USV Pvt Ltd. All authors meet the requirements of the Athenaeum Scientific Publishers criteria for authorship. We affirm that the submission represents original work that has not been published previously and is not being considered or submitted to another journal until a decision has been made. We also confirm that each author has seen and approved the contents of the submitted manuscript.

Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. Rajashree from the Scientific Services team of USV Pvt. Ltd. for the support in carrying out the project. The authors also thank Medlish Communications for the medical writing support.

Funding
Development of the manuscript is done through USV Pvt Ltd.

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