• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.208-213
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• 2009

Histological examination of an individual of the Korean slender gudgeon Squalidus gracilis majimae having cutaneous albinism produced rarely in the wild was made and compared with a normal individual. The external body of the albino was colorless, differing from the normal individual, which has dense brownish black spots over its body surface. To make it clear through histological study, we observed eight skin regions: dorsal, lateral, ventral, upper caudal peduncle, lower caudal peduncle, dorsal fin, anal fin, and the eyes. These regional skins were the same in fundamental structure between albinic and normal gudgeon, but there were significant differences in distribution and development of pigment cells (melanins). In the normal gudgeon, the pigment cells were well developed over the regional skins except on the skin from the ventral region. However, it was confirmed in the albino that the pigment cells were vestigial over the upper regions of the eye and body but absent in the ventral region, lower caudal peduncle, and anal fin.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sageretia thea is traditionally used as a medicinal herb to treat various diseases, including skin disorders, in China and Korea. This study evaluated the inhibitory effect of Sageretia thea fruit on melanogenesis and its underlying mechanisms in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. The active chemical compounds in anti-melanogenesis were determined in Sageretia thea. MATERIALS/METHODS: Solvent fractions from the crude extract were investigated for anti-melanogenic activities. These activities and the mechanism of anti-melanogenesis in B16F10 cells were examined by determining melanin content and tyrosinase activity, and by performing western blotting. RESULTS: The n-hexane fraction of Sageretia thea fruit (HFSF) exhibited significant anti-melanogenic activity among the various solvent fractions without reducing viability of B16F10 cells. The HFSF suppressed the expression of tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP1). The reduction of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) expression by the HFSF was mediated by the Akt/glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta ($GSK3{\beta}$) signaling pathway, which promotes the reduction of ${\beta}-catenin$. Treatment with the $GSK3{\beta}$ inhibitor 6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime (BIO) restored HFSF-induced inhibition of MITF expression. The HFSF bioactive constituents responsible for anti-melanogenic activity were identified by bioassay-guided fractionation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis as methyl linoleate and methyl linolenate. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that HFSF and its constituents, methyl linoleate and methyl linolenate, could be used as whitening agents in cosmetics and have potential for treating hyperpigmentation disorders in the clinic.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1692-1700
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• 2017

Ralstonia solanacearum causes bacterial wilt in a wide variety of host plant species and produces a melanin-like blackish-brown pigment in stationary phase when grown in minimal medium supplemented with tyrosine. To study melanin production regulation in R. solanacearum, five mutants exhibiting overproduction of melanin-like pigments were selected from a transposon (Tn) insertion mutant library of R. solanacearum SL341. Most of the mutants, except one (SL341T), were not complemented by the original gene or overproduced melanins. SL341T showed Tn insertion in a gene containing a conserved domain of eukaryotic transcription factor. The gene was annotated as a hypothetical protein, given its weak similarity to any known proteins. Upon complementation with its original gene, the mutant strains reverted to their wild-type phenotype. SL341T produced 3-folds more melanin at 72 h post-incubation compared with wild-type SL341 when grown in minimal medium supplemented with tyrosine. The chemical analysis of SL341T cultural filtrate revealed the accumulation of a higher amount of homogentisate, a major precursor of pyomelanin, and a lower amount of dihydroxyphenylalanine, an intermediate of eumelanin, compared with SL341. The expression study showed a relatively higher expression of hppD (encoding hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase) and lower expression of hmgA (encoding homogentisate dioxygenase) and nagL (encoding maleylacetoacetate isomerase) in SL341T than in SL341. SL341 showed a significantly higher expression of tyrosinase gene compared with SL341T at 48 h post-incubation. These results indicated that R. solanacearum produced both pyomelanin and eumelanin, and the novel hypothetical protein is involved in the negative regulation of melanin production.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 2008

The Korean bitterling, Acheilognathus signifer (Osteichthyes Cyprinidae), is an endemic and endangered species in Korea. During developmental stages, a small number of oculocutaneous albinism (with colorless body and eyeballs) were observed in the species. In order to investigate histological differences between normal and albinic bitterling, the dorsal skin and choroid-retina of the eyes were taken. The skin and eyes of normal and albino bitterling were similar in structure except for the presence or density of pigment cells. In normal bitterling, the epidermal melanocytes and dermal melanophores were abundantly developed in both the skin and epidermis of the eyes. But in the albino, the dorsal skin had few melanins, and the pigment cells over the choroid-retina pigment epithelium and iris of the eye were very small.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 2002

Lyophilizate of immatured wax gourd extract was 3.1 %, matured wax gourd extract was 1.0%, and its main ingredient was sugar, which accounts for 89.7% in total residue. In matured wax gourd, pectin contents was 4.11 mg/ml, and in immatured wax gourd 4.43 mg/m1. In matured wax gourd sarcocarp, sugar contents was 0.1% of sucrose, 0.32% of glucose, 0.35% of fructose, the first unidentified sugar was 0.06% and the second was 0.04%, and all total 0.87%. In sarcocarp of immatured wax gourd, sucrose was 0.33%, glucose was 1.04%, frutcose was 1.12%, and the first unidentified sugar 0.18%, and the second was 0.l2, which total 2.79%. In matured wax gourd core, pH was 4.64, sarcocarp 4.94, immatured wax gourd core 4,96, sarcocarp 5.40. According to the organic acid analysis, in sarcocarp of matured wax gourd, citric acid of 0.409 was contained, magic acid 0.084, succnic acid 0.048%, in matured wax gourd core, citric acid was 0.648, magic acid 0.127, succinc acid 0.058%, in immatured wax gourd, citric acid 0.023, magic acid 0.219, succinic acid 0.298%, in immutured wax gourd, citric acid was 0.039, malic acid 0.350, succinic 0.224%. Fumaric acid was trace in all cases. Total organic acid in matured wax gourd core was 0.833, immatured wax gourd core was 0.624 and immatured wax gourd sarcocarp was 0.546, matured wax gourd sarcocarp was 0,541%. In inhibition rate to propionibacterium acnes, control was 0(ø, cm), wax gourd that was not heated was 2.6, and wax gourd which was heated was 2.5, concentrated by 1/5 was 1.9, wax gourd by 1/10 was 2.5, freezing dry was 2.3. Wax gourd which not heated on producing melanin in B-16 melanoma cell, the melanins forming unit was 15$\mu$1/m1 in addition of 0.01%, while that as a control was 29$\mu$1/m1.