Antioxidative Activities and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Effects of Korean Medicinal Plants

To discover the sources with antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities in Korean traditional medicines, 10 extract of medicinal plants were screened for their potential to scavenge stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, inhibit hydroxyl radical (${\cdot}OH$), total phenolic content, and inhibition of tyrosinase. The potency of DPPH radical scavenging activity was shown in the extract of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica Nakai that has a greater effect with $IC_{50}$ values of $6.49{\pm}5.43{\mu}g/mL$, than BHA ($IC_{50}=20.99{\pm}0.74{\mu}g/mL$), L-ascorbic acid $(IC_{50}=20.59{\pm}1.06{\mu}g/mL),\;and\;{\alpha}-tocopherol\;(IC_{50}=25.55{\pm}0.26{\mu}g/mL)$ as a positive control. The ${\cdot}OH$ scavenging activities were observed in the plants tested. Acanthopanax senticosus, Cirsium setiders, U. davidiana exhibited scavenging activity of more than 60% at $500{\mu}g/mL$. The scavenging activity(%) of BHA and a-tocopherol were 64.32 and 55.87% at $500{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The total phenolic content was determined, in order to assess its effect on the extract's antioxidant activity. The total phenoic content of $33.37{\pm}0.52mg/g$ was conformed by methanolic extract of U. davidiana. The U. davidiana and Morus bombycis exhibited tyrosinase inhibitory activity with a $34.28{\pm}1.32\;and\;75.57{\pm}1.10%$, respectively. In particular, M. bombycis has stronger tyrosinase inhibitory activity than albutin with $36.48{\pm}3.56%$ as a positive control. This work showed that the inhibitory abilities of Korean medicinal plants, such as U. davidiana and M. bombycis, on DPPH free radical, inhibit hydroxyl radical (${\cdot}OH$), and inhibition of tyrosinase and total phenolic content, can be useful in the prevention and treatment of free radical-relate disease. Investigations into further isolation of inhibitory principles of U. davidiana and M. bombycis are now in progress.