• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2013

In order to develop new skin whitening agents, we prepared the EtOAc layer (AJE) after enzyme treatment of 75% EtOH extract of the Alnus Japonica Steud. We measured their tyrosinase inhibitory activity in vitro and melanin synthesis inhibitory activity in B16-F1 melanoma cells. They did not show inhibitory activity against mushroom tyrosinase but showed melanin synthesis inhibitory activity in a dose-dependent manner. In a melanin synthesis inhibition assay, AJE suppressed melanin production up to 52% at a concentration of $40{\mu}g/mL$. To elucidate the mechanism of the inhibitory effects of AJE on melanogenesis, we measured expression of melanogenesis-related proteins by the western blot assay. As a result, AJE suppressed the expression of tyrosinase related protein 1 (TRP-1) and microphthalmia associated transcription factor (MITF). Moreover, AJE increased the expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK). These results conclude that ERK activation by AJE reduces melanin synthesis via MITF downregulation and is subsequent to the inhibition of TRP-1 expression. Therefore, we suggest that AJE could be used as active ingredients for skin whitening.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1495-1500
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-melanogenic effects of Hizikia fusiforme (HF) fractions in ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone-induced B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. Ethanol extractions of Hizikia fusiforme (EEHF) were subjected to fraction by using dichloromethane (CFHF), ethyl acetate (EAFHF), butanol (BFHF), and water (WFHF). EEHF, CFHF, and EAFHF inhibited tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. The melanin contents were inhibited by 40.5% and 33.2% in response to treatment with 50 ${\mu}g/ml$ of EEHF and CFHF, respectively. In addition, tyrosinase activities showed a 53.3% and 54.1% reduction in treatment with 50 ${\mu}g/ml$ of EEHF and CFHF. Western blotting analysis showed that EEHF, CFHF, and EAFHF inhibited tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and MITF expression in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, these findings indicate that ethanol and dichloromethane fractions of Hizikia fusiforme, which inhibit melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity, are effective skin-whitening agents.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.830-836
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• 2004

The unique biochemical pathways in melanocytes responsible for melanogenesis provide us with a rational mechanism-based means for developing both pharmacological regulators of pigmentation and cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs for melanoma, Myricetin is a polyphenolic antioxidant and a component from Biotae Semen, Biotae orientalis Folium. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of myricetin on the melanogenesis in human melanoma (HM₃KO) cells. The cells were treated for 5 days with myricetin at several concentrations (10 - 100 μg/ml). Treatment with myricetin dose-dependently suppressed cell growth in HM₃KO cells, But melanin formation was markedly increased by myricetin as a dose dependent manner. Myricetin did not affect to tyrosinase activity, which is a key enzyme for melanogenesis, but significantly increased the level of tyrosinase protein expression, These results suggest that myricetin stimulate melanin synthesis of human melanoma cells through the modification of tyrosinase protein expression.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.334-339
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• 2004

In this study, the effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and/or hinokitiol (${\beta}-thujaplicin$) on melanogenesis were investigated. Our results showed that both EGCG and hinokitiol significantly inhibited melanin synthesis in a concentration-dependent manner, and that their hypopigmenting effects were stronger than that of kojic acid, which is known to inhibit melanin formation in melanocytes and melanoma cells. Interestingly, EGCG did not show any additive hypopigmenting effect in combination with kojic acid, though EGCG did show a synergistic effect in combination with hinokitiol. Several reports indicate that the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) induces microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) degradation. Accordingly, the effects of EGCG and hinokitiol on the ERK signaling pathway were examined. EGCG and hinokitiol induced neither ERK activation nor MITF degradation. On the other hand, both EGCG and hinokitiol reduced the protein levels of MITF and of tyrosinase, the rate limiting melanogenic enzyme, whereas kojic acid had no effect. In addition, hinokitiol strongly downregulated the activity of tyrosinase, whereas EGCG or kojic acid had only a little effect. These results show that both EGCG and hinokitiol reduce MITF production, and suggest that reduced tyrosinase activity by hinokitiol explains their synergistic effect on melanogenesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.12
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• pp.824-829
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• 2010

Melanin synthesis is regulated by melanocyte specific enzymes and related transcription factors. $\beta$-carboline alkaloids including harmaline and harmalol are widely distributed in the environment including several plant families and alcoholic beverages. Presently, melanin content and tyrosinase activity were increased in melanoma cells by harmaline and harmalol in concentration- and time-dependent manners. Increased protein levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2 were also evident. In addition, immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses revealed harmaline and harmalol increased cAMP response element binding protein phosphorylation and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor expression. In addition to studying the signaling that leads to melanogenesis, roles of the p38 MAPK pathways by the harmaline and harmalol were investigated. Harmaline and harmalol induced time-dependent phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. Harmaline and harmalol stimulated melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity, as well as expression of tyrosinase and TRP-1 and TRP-2 indicating that these harmaline and harmalol induce melanogenesis through p38 MAPK signaling.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2014

Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound found in various natural products such as grapes and berries and possesses anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemia, and anti-aging properties. Recently, it has been reported that resveratrol inhibits ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating hormone signaling, viability, and migration in melanoma cells. However, these effects have not been confirmed in vivo, specifically brownish guinea pigs. To evaluate the potential of resveratrol as a regulator of melanin for hyperpigmentation therapy, the influence of resveratrol on pigmentation was investigated by ultraviolet B-induced hyperpigmentation in brownish guinea pig skin. We found that resveratrol reduced the expression of melanogenesis-related proteins tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related proteins 1 and 2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor in melanoma cells. Furthermore, topical application of resveratrol was demonstrated to significantly decrease hyperpigmentation on ultraviolet B-stimulated guinea pig skin in vivo. Based on our histological data, resveratrol inhibits melanin synthesis via a reduction in tyrosinase-related protein 2 among the melanogenic enzymes. This study is the first to provide evidence supporting resveratrol as a depigmentation agent, along with further clinical investigation of resveratrol in ultraviolet B-induced skin disorders such as hyperpigmentation and skin photoaging.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.188-194
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• 2014

Objectives : In this study, we investigated the effect of ethanol extract from Rosa rugosa Thunb. flowers(ERF) on the activities of antioxidant, antiwrinkle and whitening. Methods : We measured antioxidant efficacy of ERF by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) assay. Also we confirmed the inhibitory effect of ERF on collagenase activity and melanin synthesis by using collagenase assay kit and dihydroxiphenylalanine staining, respectively. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of ERF, we examined the inflammatory mediator IL-6. Results : ERF showed highly efficacy in DPPH radical scavenging activity. ERF dose-dependently suppressed collagenase activity. Ultraviolet-induced production of IL-6 decreased by ERF treatment. In B16F10 cell, ERF significantly reduced tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis. Conclusions : From the above results, it was indicated that ERF could be utilized as anti-aging and whitening cosmetic ingredients.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.98-103
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• 2021

The demand for natural substances with anti-melanogenic activity is increasing due to the recent interest in skin whitening. Intensive investigation on the culture broth of Streptomyces sp. SCO-736, a marine bacterium from the Antarctica coast, has led to the isolation of a new natural product named antaroide (1). The chemical structure was established through the interpretation of MS, UV, and NMR spectroscopic data. Antaroide is a nine-membered macrolide with lactone and lactam moieties. To investigate its applicability in skin whitening cosmetics, its anti-melanogenic activity in B16F10 murine melanoma cells was examined. As a result, antaroide displayed strong inhibitory activities against melanin synthesis and also attenuated the dendrite formation induced by the α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH). Antaroide suppressed the mRNA expression of the melanogenic enzymes such as tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2. This suggests that it may serve as a transcriptional regulator of melanogenesis. Collectively, the discovery of this novel natural nine-membered macrolide and its anti-melanogenic activity could give new insights for the development of skin whitening agents.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1243-1249
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ethanol extract of Fagopyrum esculentum on the melanogenesis. To determine whether ethanol extract of Fagopyrum esculentum suppress melanin synthesis in cellular level, B16F10 melanoma cells were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of Fagopyrum esculentum ethanol extract. In the present study, we examined the effects of Fagopyrum esculentum ethanol extract on cell proliferation, melanin contents, tyrosinase activity, expression of melanogenic enzyme proteins including tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1) and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2). Cell proliferation was slightly increased by treatment with ethanol extract of Fagopyrum esculentum $(25-200 {\mu}g/m{\ell}).$ The ethanol extract of Fagopyrum esculentum effectively suppressed melanin contents at a dose of $100 {\mu}g/m{\ell}).$ It was observed that the color of cell pellets was totally whitened compared with the control. The ethanol extract of Fagopyrum esculentum inhibited tyrosinase activity, regulate melanin biosynthesis as the key enzyme in melanogenesis. Using western blot analysis, the ethanol extract of Fagopyrum esculentum dose-dependently decreased tyrosinase and TRP-1 protein levels, and tyrosinase and TRP-1 were detected in similar manner. ${\alpha}-MSH$ leads to a stimulation of melanin synthesis through increase of tyrosinase activity, melanin contents and cytoplasmic dendricity. In this study, ethanol extract of Fagopyrum esculentum down-regulated the ${\alpha}-MSH$-induced tyrosinase activity, melanin contents and cytoplasmic dendricity. Regarding protein levels of the melanogenic enzymes, the amounts of tyrosinase and TRP-1 was increased after incubation with a-MSH. The treatment of ethanol extract of Fagopyrum esculentum decreased the ${\alpha}-MSH$-induced expression levels of tyrosinase and TRP-1. These results suggest that the ethanol extract of Fagopyrum esculentum exerts its depigmenting effects through the suppression of tyrosinase, TRP-1 and cytoplasmic dendricity. And it may be a potent depigmetation agent in hyperpigmentation condition.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.30 no.4 s.48
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• pp.485-489
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• 2004

Melanin pigmentation in human skin is a major defensive mechanism against ultraviolet light of the sun. Tyrosinase plays a key role in the biosynthesis of melanin. This is why many researches have been focused on regulations in controlling the epidermal melanization. We found that extract of Canavalia lineata inhibits mushroom tyrosinase activity, dopa oxidase activity, and melanin synthesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. To elucidate mRNA level reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was used. It was revealed that A subfraction of $CHCI_3$ extract of Canavalia lineara reduced the tyrosinase mRNA expression of B16F10 melanoma cells by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique.