• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.161-164
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• 2002

Gentisic acid is a skin-whitening agent which inhibits the tyrosinase activity, an essential enzyme in the process of biological synthesis of melanin. Since melanin is synthesized in melanocytes located between the viable epidermis and dermis layer, drug amount delivered into the epidermis/dermis layer can provide valuable information for the biological effect of skin-whitening agents. The purpose of this study was to prepare the gentisic acid patches with 2% dodecylamine as enhancer, and to observe the in vitro skin permeation and in vivo skin deposition of gentisic acid. Gentisic acid in DuroTak 87-2510 patch formulation permeated across hairless mouse skin at the rate of $40.79\;{\mu}g/cm^2/hr$. In vivo study showed that the gentisic acid amount in both the stratum corneum and the viable epidermis/dermis increased with the increase of application time. The amount of gentisic acid in the stratum corneum was higher than that in the epidermis/dermis layer, and was expected to provide a reservoir effect even after removing the patches. Thus, the patch formulation seems to be useful for the topical delivery of skin-whitening agent into the epidermis/dermis layer, the target site.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.133-138
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• 2021

In this study, Niacinamide (NI) was loaded into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and skin permeability was evaluated to improve skin permeability of NI, which was a skin whitening substance. NI was able to effectively load within SLN with a double-melting emulsification method, producing stable particles with average particle sizes of 263.30 to 436.93 nm and a zeta potential of -34.77 to -57.60 mV. Artificial skin tissue (SkinEthic^TM RHE) derived from skin keratinocytes derived from human epidermal tissue was used for the skin permeation study of NI. Skin transmittance and deposition experiments of NI confirmed that all SLN formulations improved skin transmittance and deposition rates of NI, approximately 5.4 ~ 7.6 and 9.5 ~ 20.8 improvement over SLN applications. Therefore, SLN manufactured in this study have shown sufficient results to improve the skin permeability of the functional whitening substance, NI.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.70-78
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• 2022

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of preventing pigmentation caused by external stimuli, promoting skin regeneration and whitening of the skin composition containing complex extract of Dendrobii Caulis and Centella asiatica (CE). We evaluated cell viability, tyrosinase and melanin inhibition activity, skin irritation test, and skin moisturizing and regenerative effects using CE. As a result of the tyrosinase inhibitory activity, 100 ㎍/mL CE (35.31%) showed higher value than kojic acid (21.32%). The results of melanin synthesis inhibition in B16F10 melanoma cells after treatment with α-melanocyte stimulating hormone showed a similar level of activity to that of arbutin, indicating an excellent whitening effect. In clinical test of the skin composition containing CE, we confirmed that CE is non-irritated in human skin primary irritation test as well as have a high skin moisturizing and regenerative effect. From these results, we suggested the CE not only prevents skin damage and pigmentation caused by external stimuli but has remarkable skin brightening activity and skin regeneration effect.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.279-285
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• 2015

Hyperpigmentation on face is a highly anxiety-producing symptom, especially for women from the aspect of beauty. Pigmentation of the skin is related to the amount of melanin that provides protection against UV radiation. In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy is a non-invasive imaging tool allowing visualization of the skin without tissue alteration, by placing a microscopy directly on the living skin. The aim of this study was to develop the new evaluation method of whitening effects using in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy and to validate other instruments for measuring skin colors, and UV-induced hyperpigmentation was elicited on the inside skin of the forearm. It suggested that the new method for whitening effects using the confocal microscopy was useful to evaluate the de-pigmentation products and to easy for understanding to customers.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.179-186
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• 2014

This study was performed to DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical scavenging activity, tyrosinase inhibition activity and intracellular melanin synthesis inhibition to verify the whitening effect of Fagopyrum tataricum (bitter buckwheat) extract as contrasted with Fagopyrum esculentum (sweet buckwheat) extract. F. tataricum extract in consequence showed higher antioxidant activities, tyrosinase inhibition activity and melanin synthesis inhibition compared with F. esculentum extract. We investigated skin bright value during 8 weeks after induction of pigmentation in human skin from UV irradiation. In result, we obtained statistically a significant skin whitening effect from visual and mechanical evaluation. Accordingly, F. tataricum extract is expected to be high availability as functional cosmetic material for skin whitening.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.167-173
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• 2021

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) disrupt the cellular redox balance, exert cytotoxic effects, and consequently promote the development of various diseases in humans. Previous studies have reported that antioxidants counteract the adverse effects of ROS. Several studies examine the whitening effects of various agents based on their ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity. Tyrosinase is a critical enzyme involved in the synthesis of melanin, which protects the skin against radiation. Various agents exhibiting antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities have been synthesized. However, these synthetic drugs are associated with toxicity, decreased safety, and poor skin penetration in vivo, which has limited the clinical application of synthetic drugs. This study examined the antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities of some microalgae. The methanol, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate extracts of four microalgal species (Tetraselmis tetrathele, Dunaliella tertiolecta, Platymonas sp., and Chaetoceros simplex) were prepared. The physiological and whitening effects of microalgal extracts were investigated by measuring the antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities. The ethyl acetate extract of D. tertiolecta exhibited the highest antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities. Future studies must focus on examining the whitening effects of microalgae on cell lines to facilitate the development of microalga-based therapeutics for skin diseases, functional health foods, and whitening agents. Thus, microalgae have potential applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.117-126
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• 2007

Cosmetics have mild activity on the human body, and intended to be used for cleaning, beautifying the human body, and also keeping healthy skin or hair, promoting attractiveness or altering the appearance. Functional cosmetics, in other words cosmeceuticals, are restricted for following functions: 1) Whiten the skin tone by preventing deposition of melanin pigmentation or lightening of the color of melanin of skin, 2) alleviate or improve wrinkles of the skin, and 3) protect the skin from the ultra violet rays from the sun. According to the functions of the functional cosmetics, skin whitening products, anti-wrinkle products, and suntan & sunscreen products are manufactured. In order to manufacture and import the functional cosmetics in Korea, the approval process in KFDA is necessary. The review process in KFDA is performed based on The Korea Food and Drug Administration Notification 2007-44, "The Regulation of Reviewing the Functional Cosmetics" (June 29, 2007). Only after the approval of KFDA, functional cosmetics are allowed to advertise to the consumers for their functionality.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

Abnormal changes in skin color induce significant cosmetic problems and affect quality of life. There are two groups of abnormal change in skin color; hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation. Hyperpigmentation, darkening skin color by excessive pigmentation, is a major concern for Asian people with yellowe-brown skin. A variety of hypopigmenting agents have been used, but treating the hyperpigmented condition is still challenging and the results are often discouraging. Panax ginseng has been used traditionally in eastern Asia to treat various diseases, due to its immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, antioxidative, and antitumor activities. Recently, several reports have shown that extract, powder, or some constituents of ginseng could inhibit melanogenesis in vivo or in vitro. The underlying mechanisms of antimelanogenic properties in ginseng or its components include the direct inhibition of key enzymes of melanogenesis, inhibition of transcription factors or signaling pathways involved in melanogenesis, decreasing production of inducers of melanogenesis, and enhancing production of antimelanogenic factor. Although there still remain some controversial issues surrounding the antimelanogenic activity of ginseng, especially in its effect on production of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide, these recent findings suggest that ginseng and its constituents might be potential candidates for novel skin whitening agents.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.11-32
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• 2010

Objective : The aim of this study is to determine the effects of Dendrobii herba extract and Punica granatum extract on skin disease and skin beauty. Methods : To investigate in vitro anti-oxidant activity assay, ethanol extracts of medicinal plants tested by DPPH radical, xanthine oxidase activity. In the next experiment, to investigate anti-inflammatory activity assay, examined by relations in NO synthesis, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$, NF-${\kappa}B$, COX-2, MAP kinase. To study Skin wrinkle formation effect, we were examined by tyrosinase activities, melanin synthesis in MNT-1 cell. Results : 1. In an anti-oxidant test, Dendrobii and Punica granatum extract showed high radical scavenging activity. 2. In an anti-inflammatory test, Dendrobii herba and Punica granatum extract weakly inhibited the lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced nitric oxide(NO) release from RAW 246.7 macrophage cells. Dendrobii herba and Punica granatum extract also inhibited LPS-induced IL-$1{\beta}$ and COX-2 expressions. The inhibitory effect of Dendrobii herba and Punica granatum extract on macrophage activation were via the inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$, evidenced by transient transfection assay. however, Dendrobii herba and Punica granatum extract did not have any effects about activation of Jun-N-terminal kinase(JNK) and inhibition of p38 MAP kinase in RAW 264.7 cells. 3. In the skin wrinkle formation assay, Dendrobii herba and Punica granatum extract weakly inhibited collagenase and elastase, however it was not statistically significant. 4. In the skin whitening assay, Dendrobii herba and Punica granatum extract weakly inhibited tyrosinase activity, however, it was not statistically significant. They did not have any effect on melanin synthesis, indicating that they could not be applicable for skin whitening. Conclusion : Dendrobii herba extract and Punica granatum extract may play a significant role in skin disease and skin beauty.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.60-67
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• 2020

This study evaluated the Skin Whitening effects of 'fermented-C.' for Atrium cosmetics using a single-arm clinical trial. Twenty female adults (mean age 42.1 ± 6.6 year) were enrolled, all participants used this cosmetic product on their face for 4 weeks. The change of brightness (L-value) was measured by spectrophotometer while subjective assessments were also obtained to find the participants opinions on whitening and their general satisfaction measured by a 5-point scale (5 for very satisfactory, 5 for satisfactory, 3 for moderate, 2 for unsatisfactory, 1 for very unsatisfactory). The participants were also questioned about any adverse effects by filling out a self-monitoring report. The average L-value increased from 62.55 ± 2.14 on day 0 to 63.22 ± 1.96 after 4 weeks corresponding to a 1.1% brightness improvement (p < 0.01). The average scores for subjective whitening and general satisfaction were better than moderate with scores of 3.6 ± 0.5 and 3.7 ± 0.7, respectively. No notable complaints were reported regarding any kind of adverse effects such as erythema, itching or burning. The clinical data collected in this study supports that fermented-C. from Atrium cosmetics has whitening potential in a safe Functional Cosmetics package.