• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.167-171
• /
• 2010

The present study aims to evaluate Cordyceps militaris water extract (CMWE) with a view to develop melanogenesis inhibitors. Inhibitory activities of CMWE against tyrosinase, L-DOPA(L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) oxidation, and melanin biosynthesis in B16 mouse melanoma cells were investigated. CMWE, at $5000\;{\mu}g/ml$, inhibited tyrosinase activity of 71% and DOPA oxidation of 40% as reacting with L-DOPA. Furthermore, B16 mouse melanoma cell survived over 50% from low to high dose on MTT assay, and CMWE markedly inhibited (> 50%) melanin synthesis at $5000\;{\mu}g/ml$. The inhibitory effect of CMWE on melanogenesis was attributed to enhancement of tyrosinase degradation. Key enzyme of melanin biosynthesis is tyrosinase which catalyses a beginning step from tyrosine to DOPA quinine and melanin formation step, respectively. These results indicated that CMWE may be a potential source of novel whitening agents for cosmetic or therapeutic application.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.112-117
• /
• 2000

A similarity coefficient were analyzed by RFLP of fourteen species of entomopathogenic fungi, isolated from inhabiting pupa and adult insect at forest. Each rDNA ITS I and ITS II with primers of ITS 1 and ITS 4 was amplified by PCR. The amplified products were conserved to 500 bp were not demarcated between genus and species. Four Paeciliomyces tenuipes, two Beauveria bassiana and six Cordyceps militaris were treated by seven restriction enzymes and confirmed in species except JB3 by electrophoresis band. However, the band of C. scarabaeicola showed the identity with B. bassiana. The result of this experiment indicated that the teleomorph of C. scarabaeicola was the same as that of B. bassiana. CfoI and HpaII of seven restricted enzymes were easily discriminating in the genus between Paecilomyees and Cordyceps. Especially, CfoI was more effective to classify the genera of Paecilomyees, Cordyceps and Beauveria than other restriction enzymes. The band patterns of RFLP of P. tenuipes, C. militaris, C. scarabaeicola and B. bassiana were also analyzed by UPGMA program of NTSYS-pc and showed 100% significance. Thus, the similarity coefficient tended to be lower between genera by RFLP analysis, but was higher between species.