• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.151-167
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• 2003

Melanin biosynthesis is a human defense mechanism to protect skin from UV irradiation and also determines colors of hair and skin. However, as a interest on skin-whitening increases, researches to prevent pigmentation and hypersynthesis of melanin in skin are being actively in progress. Active components used as a whitening agent in cosmeceuticals are kojic acid, arbutin, vitamin C and hydroquinone. However, until now, because comparison researches among them in the aspect of both melanin formation and cellular toxicity have not been performed, we can't exactly estimate merits and defects of them as a whitening agent. To this end, we performed experiments to compare their effects on cell viability and melanin formation. As a first step, in vitro tyrosinase inhibition assay was done. While kojic acid and hydroquinone showed strong inhibition activities(their IC$\_$50/s are all < 100uM), arbutin and vitamin C showed weak activities. IC$\_$50/s of arbutin and vitamin C are 100uM and 400∼500uM, respectively. In B16BL6 melanoma cells, like in vitro tyrosinase inhibition assay, arbutin and kojic acid showed more strong inhibition effect on melanin synthesis than vitamin C. And unlike arbutin, vitamin C and kojic acid induced cell death at high concentration. Although arbutin showed no cytotoxicity, it has side effect to induce morphological change at high concentration.. In this paper, we suggest both kojic acid and arbutin have stronger ability to inhibit melanogenesis than vitamin C. And they also have side effect, that is, kojic acid induces cell death like vitamin C and arbutin changes cell morphology respectively.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.266-271
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• 2015

Recently many effort focused to understand the mechanical insights of melanogenesis to develop the agent for hyper-pigmentation. So this study was performed to investigate the depigmentation of Vitex rotundifolia. With B16F10 mouse melanoma cell, we have seen inhibition of the tyrosinase, MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, and melanin synthesis, which eventually were dose dependently decreased by Vitex rotundifolia. Specially, Vitex rotundifolia decreased the protein levels of tyrosinase and TRP-1. In conclusion, Vitex rotundifolia showed the whitening activity in all the experiments mentioned above and we expect that it can be used for preventing melanin synthesis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.555-564
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• 2021

Background: Ginsenosides of Panax ginseng are used to enhance skin health and beauty. The present study aimed to investigate the potential use of ginsenoside Rf (Rf) from Panax ginseng as a new anti-pigmentation agent. Methods: The anti-melanogenic effects of Rf were explored. The transcriptional activity of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding protein (CREB) and the expression levels of tyrosinase, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), and tyrosinase-related proteins (Tyrps) were evaluated in melanocytes and UV-irradiated ex vivo human skin. Results: Rf significantly inhibited Forskolin (FSK) or UV-stimulated melanogenesis. Consistently, cellular tyrosinase activity and levels of MITF, tyrosinase, and Tyrps were downregulated. Furthermore, Rf suppressed MITF promoter activity, which was stimulated by FSK or CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 3 (CRTC3) overexpression. Increased CREB phosphorylation and protein kinase A (PKA) activity induced by FSK were also mitigated in the presence of Rf. Conclusion: Rf can be used as a reliable anti-pigmentation agent, which has a scientifically confirmed and reproducible action mechanism, via inhibition of CREB/MITF pathway.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2023

The anti-melanogenic activity of 259 actinomycete strains was tested, and based on the results for the inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase activity and the reduction in melanin content, Micromonospora sp. JCS1 and JCS7 were selected as the strains with the highest anti-melanogenic potential. The activity-guided fractionation of extracts from JCS1 and JCS7 led to the isolation of the dipeptides cyclo(ʟ-Phenyl alanine (Phe)-ʟ-Proline (Pro)) (1) and cyclo(ʟ-Tryptophan (Trp)-ʟ-Proline (Pro)) (2). These two compounds were tested for their inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase by monitoring ʟ-DOPA levels and melanin production. Cyclo(ʟ-Phe-ʟ-Pro) (1) and cyclo(ʟ-Trp-ʟ-Pro) (2) were thus confirmed to have the potential for use in functional whitening cosmetics containing actinomycete-derived secondary metabolites.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.163-167
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• 1998

Candida albcans growth inhibition experiments were carried out to determine the photoxicity of new monofunctional psoralen derivatives, PzPs and HMPzPs, as well as well known 8-MOP an d5-MOP. Although 8-MOP and 5-MOP showed distince photoxicity, PzPs and HMPzPs did not inhibit the growth of Candida albicans strain indicating that PzPs derivatives were not good candidate for the treatment of psoriasis. However, vitili해 could be treated by PzPs derivatives without severe phototosicity because psoralens are known to treat vitiligo by stimulating melanogenesis on skin.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2011

In order to investigate the potential of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) oil as an active ingredient for whitening cosmetics, we prepared N. sativa oil. We measured its inhibitory effects on mushroom tyrosinase activity, cellular tyrosinase activity, and melanin synthesis inhibitory activity in B16 melanoma cells. N. sativa oil and its components showed inhibitory activity against mushroom tyrosinase and melanin synthesis. In a melanin synthesis inhibition assay using mouse B16-F10 melanoma cell, it reduced melanin production up to 86 % at a concentration of 10 mg/mL without cytotoxicity. In the study on the melanogenic protein expressions by using RT-PCR and Western blot, N. sativa oil and its components inhibited expression of tyrosinase protein, which is a well-known key protein on melanogenesis, and tyrosinase expression was gradually decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, this result suggests that N. sativa oil could be used as an active ingredient for whitening cosmetics.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.2 s.133
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• pp.156-160
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• 2003

$NF-{\kappa}B$ (nuclear factor-kappa B) plays a particularly central role in epidermal biology. It has been established that ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is one of the mechanisms to induce the activation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ in human skin. We previously demonstrated that melanogenic inhibitors may act through the inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation in keratinocytes. In order to find another type of melanogenic inhibitors of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation, various kinds of the extracts from crude drugs $(30\;{\mu}g/ml)$ were preincubated with transfectant HaCaT cells for 3 hrs and then UVR $(60\;mj/cm^2)$ was irradiated. UVR-exposed cells were incubated for another 6 hrs to measure the $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity. $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation was measured with the secreatory alkaline phosphates (SEAP) reporter gene assay using a fluorescence detection method. Among natural products, Lycium chinense, Acanthopanax senticosus, Angelica koreana, Kalopanax pictus and Asparagus cochinchinensis were the most potent inhibitors of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation by UVR. These observations suggest that some crude drugs might act partially through the modulation of the synthesis of melanotrophic factors to decrease melanogenesis in keratinocytes.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.85-93
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• 2016

We already reported that genetically engineered resveratrol-enriched rice (RR) showed to down-regulate skin melanogenesis. To be developed to increase the bioactivity of RR using calli from plants, RR was adopted for mass production using plant tissue culture technologies. In addition, high-pressure homogenization (HPH) was used to increase the biocompatibility and penetration of the calli from RR into the skin. We aimed to develop anti-melanogenic agents incorporating calli of RR (cRR) and nanoparticles by high-pressure homogenization, examining the synergistic effects on the inhibition of UVB-induced hyperpigmentation. Depigmentation was observed following topical application of micro-cRR, nano-calli of normal rice (cNR), and nano-cRR to ultraviolet B (UVB)-stimulated hyperpigmented guinea pig dorsal skin. Colorimetric analysis, tyrosinase immunostaining, and Fontana-Masson staining for UVB-promoted melanin were performed. Nano-cRR inhibited changes in the melanin color index caused by UVB-promoted hyperpigmentation, and demonstrated stronger anti-melanogenic potential than micro-cRR. In epidermal skin, nano-cRR repressed UVB-promoted melanin granules, thereby suppressing hyperpigmentation. The UVB-enhanced, highly expressed tyrosinase in the basal layer of the epidermis was inhibited by nano-cRR more prominently than by micro-cRR and nano-cNR. The anti-melanogenic potency of nano-cRR also depended on pH and particle size. Nano-cRR shows promising potential to regulate skin pigmentation following UVB exposure.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2010

In this study, we evaluated antioxidative effects and skin whitening effects of extract of Caragana sinica fermented by S. cerevisiae KCTC 7913. At first, Caragana sinica was fermented via inoculation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae KCTC 7913 and then extracted for fermented C. sinica. It has shown that more increased of melanogenesis inhibition activity in a dose-dependent manner on B16F10 melanoma cells and elevated the amount of resveratrol contents by HPLC analysis than non-fermented. Furthermore, the extract of fermented C. sinica was inhibitory effects against tyrosinase, a key enzyme of melanogenesis pathway, more than non-fermented C. sinica extract. And it did not show the skin irritation. Therefore, fermented C. sinica extracts might be used as safe cosmetic ingredients.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.707-713
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• 2015

Royal jelly has been widely used as a health supplement worldwide. However, royal jelly has been implicated in allergic reactions, and we developed a water-soluble royal jelly (WSRJ) without the allergy inducing protein. In this study, we aimed to identify the anti-melanogenic efficacy of WSRJ. B16F1 melanoma cells were first treated with 10 nM α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and then with various doses of WSRJ. In addition, we investigated the mRNA and protein expression of melanogenesis-related genes such as tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1) and TRP-2 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. WSRJ directly inhibited tyrosinase and cellular tyrosinase activity, which decreased melanin synthesis in α-MSH stimulated B16F1 melanoma cells a level comparable to that observed with arbutin. WSRJ decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2, which was comparable to that observed with arbutin. WSRJ has strong anti-melanogenic activity, which invoice direct inhibition of tyrosinase enzyme activity and suppression of expression of melanogenesis related genes. Results from this study suggests that WSRJ is a potential candidate for the treatment of skin pigmentation.