• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.736-745
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• 2021

Although various marine ingredients have been exploited for the development of cosmetic products, no previous study has examined the potential of seaweed extracellular vesicles (EV) in such applications. Our results revealed that EV from Codium fragile and Sargassum fusiforme effectively decreased α-MSH-mediated melanin synthesis in MNT-1 human melanoma cells, associated with downregulation of MITF (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor), tyrosinase and TRP1 (tyrosinase-related proteins 1). The most effective inhibitory concentrations of EV were 250 ㎍/ml for S. fusiforme and 25 ㎍/ml for C. fragile, without affecting the viability of MNT-1 cells. Both EV reduced melanin synthesis in the epidermal basal layer of a three-dimensional model of human epidermis. Moreover, the application of the prototype cream containing C. fragile EV (final 5 ㎍/ml) yielded 1.31% improvement in skin brightness in a clinical trial. Together, these results suggest that EV from C. fragile and S. fusiforme reduce melanin synthesis and may be potential therapeutic and/or supplementary whitening agents.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2004

Melanin pigmentation in human skin is a major defense mechanism against ultraviolet light of the sun, but abnormal pigmentation such as freckles, liver spot could be a serious aesthetic problem. Nearly all studies are mainly concentrated on searching for the materials that have inhibitory activities on tyrosinase. In this work, to isolate phenolic compounds from Gastrodia elata, we purified the extract through solvent fractionation, column chromatography, and recrystallization. They were identified as 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol 1, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane 2, gastrodin (4-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranosyloxybenzyl alcohol) 3 on the base of spectroscopic evidences. In order to investigate their depigmentation effect, inhibitory activity against mushroom tyrosinase and inhibitory activity of melanin synthesis in B16 melanoma cells were evaluated in vitro. We have found that 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol 1 and gastrodin (4- ${\beta}$-D-glucopyranosyloxybenzyl alcohol) 3 have no tyrosinase inhibitory activity, but inhibit the melanin synthesis in B16 melanoma cells. Tyrosinase inhibitory activities of bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane 2 (IC$\_$50/ = 400 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL) and butanol fraction (IC$\_$50/ = 46 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL) were lower/higher than that of arbutin (IC$\_$50/ = 114 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL), but inhibitory activities of melanin synthesis in B16 melanoma cells were much higher than that of arbutin. Especially, tyrosinase inhibitory activities of isolated phenolic fraction (IC$\_$50/ = 2.37 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL) from butanol fraction was very higher than that of arbutin (IC$\_$50/ = 114 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL). Therefore, these results suggest that isolated phenolic compounds from Gastrodia elata have inhibitory activity against mushroom tyrosinase and inhibitory activity of melanin synthesis in 816 melanoma cells in vitro.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.284-289
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• 2014

Tyrosinase is a rate-limiting enzyme that controls the production of melanin. The effect of bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) on tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis has not been studied. We analyzed the effects of leaf and inner film fractions of bamboo extracts on the inhibition of tyrosinase activity and on melanin production. At a concentration of 5 mg/ml, the extracts of bamboo down-regulated the production of melanocytes. In addition, the extracts of bamboo reduced tyrosinase activity and the melanin content in vitro. Our results suggest that bamboo extract may constrain melanin synthesis by inhibition of the activity and expression of tyrosinase.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.423-429
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• 2017

Hair color is determined by kind and amount of melanin. Melanocyte mainly synthesizes melanin from L-tyrosine by stimulation of ultra violet. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in greying hair. Polygonum multiflorum radix has been reported to inhibit the aging process that black color of hair is turned into grey color. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Polygoni multiflorium radix ethanol extract (PMEE) on melanin synthesis related to black hair growth. In anti-oxidant experiment, PMEE decreased DPPH radical and increased reducing power, indicating that PMEE could eliminate ROS involved in greying hair. PMEE decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the effect of PMEE on the production of melanin was determined by DOPA assay and tyrosinase activity. PMEE increased tyrosinase activity and promoted melanin synthesis. In addition, the expression levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase related protein-2 (TRP-2) and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), as well as anti-oxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD-3) and catalase were examined using western blot analysis. The expression levels of SOD-3 and catalase were decreased due to the enhanced antioxidant activity of PMEE. In particular, PMEE increased the expression levels of tyrosinase and TRP-2. These results suggest that PMEE could promote melanin synthesis that involved in tuning gray hair into black hair.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.1470-1475
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to evaluate the whitening effect of green tea seed shell as an industrial byproduct. Green tea seed shell extract (GTSE) was obtained by ethanol extraction, and the yield was 1.24%. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of GTSE increased dose-dependently. To estimate inhibition of melanin synthesis, viability was tested in B16BL6 melanoma cells. GTSE treatment induced cytotoxicity at a concentration higher than $125{\mu}g/mL$ but did not induce cytoxicity lower than $62.5{\mu}g/mL$. Thus, we fixed the optimal concentration at $62.5{\mu}g/mL$. Using this optimal concentration, melanin synthesis inhibition was measured, and GTSE treatment significantly reduced melanin synthesis induced by ${\alpha}$-melanin stimulating hormone. Therefore, the results indicate that green tea seed shell extracts may have potential melanin synthesis inhibitory activity and may be useful for development of whitening material as a natural ingredient.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.526-532
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the effect of 88 marine algae extracts on melanin synthesis to develop new whitening agents. Among varieties of marine algae tested, the ethyl acetate extracts from Endarachne binghamiae (EB), Scytosiphon lomentaria, Sargassum yezoense, Ecklonia cava and Sargassum fusiforme inhibited melanin synthesis in melan-a cells. EB treatment showed the strongest inhibitory activity in melanin synthesis, compared with that of other extracts. EB-mediated inhibition of melanin synthesis appeared to be associated with inhibition of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase-dependent glycosylation of tyrosinase in melan-a cells. In addition, EB treatment did not affect mushroom tyrosinase or cell-extracted tyrosinase activity in vitro. Taken together, our findings suggest that anti-browning effect of EB on skin is mediated through regulation of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity and subsequent inhibition of tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis, and further development of EB as a potential agent for skin whitening.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.107-121
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• 2021

Skin hypopigmentation, which is observed in albinism or vitiligo, occurs when melanin synthesis is decreased by genetic, epigenetic, and other factors. To identify drug candidates that can promote melanin synthesis in cells, we screened an epigenetic modulator library consisting of 141 cell-permeable, small molecule drugs. B16/F10 murine melanoma cells were treated with each drug at 0.1 𝜇M and melanin synthesis and cell viability were subsequently monitored. As a result, (-)-neplanocin A, 3-deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), and DZNep hydrochloride were found to increase cellular melanin synthesis without causing cytotoxicity. Because these three structurally related drugs exhibited similar dose-dependent effects on melanin synthesis and cell viability, DZNep was selected as a representative drug for additional experiments. DZNep increased intracellular melanin content and tyrosinase (TYR) activity. DZNep also induced the expression of TYR, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1), and dopachrome tautomerase (DCT) at the mRNA and protein levels. DZNep also induced the mRNA and protein expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), a key regulator of melanin synthesis. DZNep is a specific inhibitor of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and it caused the accumulation of S-adenosylhomocysteine that inhibits histone methyltransferases in cells. This study suggests that melanogenesis can be modulated by targeting S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase in certain cellular contexts.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.84-91
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• 2021

This study was carried out to investigate the melanin synthesis inhibitory effect of Aspergillus fumigatus fermented extract. In this study, we revealed the effects of A. fumigatus fermented extract on melanin contents, mushroom tyrosinase activity, and expression levels of mRNA and proteins of melanogenesis-related gene in B16F10 melanoma cells. A. fumigatus fermented extract inhibited both melanin contents and tyrosinase activity. In addition, the expression level of mRNA or proteins of melanogenesis was down-regulated in the A. fumigatus fermented extract treated B16F10 cells with dose-dependent manner. Moreover, when the clinical test was conducted, it was confirmed that the use of the fermented extract of A. fumigatus for 8 weeks improved skin brightness 1.586 times brighter and skin melanin 1.331 times better compared to the control product. Taken together, our results suggest that A. fumigatus fermented extract has melanogenesis inhibitory effect and whitening activity, thus it showed the possibility for using as a functional whitening cosmetic resource.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.331-338
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• 2018

Melanin is a polymer substance that plays an important role in the determination of hair growth and skin color in vivo. However, melanin, which is over-produced by reactive oxygen species, is known to cause stains, freckles, and hypercholesterolemia, which are associated with aging. Previous studies have shown that polyphosphate, one of the components of Rhynchosia Nulubilis, inhibits skin aging induced by ultraviolet rays. The aim of this study is to investigate the direct effect of Rhynchosia Nulubilis ethanolic extract (RNEE) on melanin synthesis. In this study, RNEE showed no antioxidative effects on scavenging activity of DPPH radical in addition to reducing power. The cytotoxicity of RNEE was increased in a dose-dependent manner in an MTT assay. In addition, RNEE increased tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis in DOPA-oxidation experiments. RNEE did not promote the conversion L-DOPA into melanin in live cells, but melanin production was promoted in the RNEE-treated group after H2O2 pretreatment compared to the control group in which melanin production was reduced by treatment with H2O2. In addition, RNEE increased the expression level of tyrosinase related protein-2 (TRP-2) and increased the expression level of tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1) at a concentration of $16{\mu}g/ml$. In particular, it was found that RNEE increased the expression level of SOD-3, by which superoxide anion is converted to hydrogen peroxide, higher than the control and ${\alpha}$-MSH used as a positive control at a concentration of more than $16{\mu}g/ml$. The results suggest that RNEE can induce melanogenesis related to black hair.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.597-601
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• 2017

The clpks18 gene was first cloned and identified in Curvularia lunata. It contains 6571 base pairs (bp) and an 6276 bp open reading frame encoding 2091 amino acids. The ClPKS18 deletion mutant displayed an albino phenotype, and almost lost the ability to product 5-(hydroxymethyl) furan-2-carboxylate (M5HF2C) toxin, implying that clpks18 gene in C. lunata is not only involved in 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene melanin synthesis, but also relatively associated with M5HF2C toxin biosynthesis of the pathogen. The pathogenicity assays revealed that ${\Delta}ClPKS18$ was impaired in colonizing the maize leaves, which corresponds to the finding that ClPKS18 controls the production of melanin and M5HF2C in C. lunata. Results indicate that ClPKS18 plays a vital role in regulating pathogenicity of in C. lunata.