• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.245-248
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to evaluate tyrosinase inhibitory activity of plant extracts, especially Korean indigenous plants, for the cosmetic use of skin whitening. When 50 plant extracts were tested, the methanol extracts of Agrimonia pilosa, Aster scaber; Dianthus sinensis, Fatsia japonica, Hemistepta lyrata, Lespedeza cuneata, Osmunda japonicum, Pyrvla japvnica, Rodgersia phodophylla and Veratrum grandiforum possessed the considerable tyrosinase inhibitory activity at 3-300 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL. Especially, L. cuneata, aerial part of O. japonicum and V. gandiforum exhibited the strong inhibition (>50％ inhibition at 300 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL). In particular, the methanol extract of V. grandiforum and its ethylacetate fraction showed potent inhibition ($IC_{50}$/=30 and 13$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL, respectively), while the reference compound, kojic acid, showed $IC_{50}$/ value of 26$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL. These plant extracts may be used as tyrosinase inhibitors in cosmetics.