• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 2012

Ramalin (${\gamma}$-glutamyl-N'-(2-hydroxyphenyl)hydrazide) isolated from the Antarctic lichen Ramalina terebrata has been shown to have strong antioxidant activities in the previous study. To investigate additional activities of ramalin, we studied the effects of ramalin on melanogenesis in melan-a cells, a non-tumorigenic melanocyte cell line. At a non-cytotoxic concentration, ramalin dramatically decreased melanin synthesis in melan-a cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was more potent than arbutin, a well-known tyrosinase inhibitor. Ramalin inhibited cell-free tyrosinase activity directly and intracellular tyrosinase activity as well. Its inhibitory mechanisms on melanin production were further assessed, and we found that ramalin significantly decreased the protein levels of melanogenic enzymes such as tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2). However, the mRNA levels of these enzymes were not altered. In a clinical study, application of 0.2 % ramalin on human skin significantly improved the degree of skin brightness after 3 weeks. In conclusion, ramalin has strong anti-melanogenic activity that is exerted both by the direct inhibition of tyrosinase activity and by down-regulation of melanogenic proteins. Furthermore, ramalin showed skin brightening effect in a clinical study. Collectively, these results suggest that ramalin may be a useful inhibitor for melanogenesis in skin.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1193-1198
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• 2009

Ethylacetate and butanol fractions of leaf extracts (OLE) showed the higher contents of total phenolic compounds than hexane and water fractions. Oleuropein contents were $4.21{\pm}0.57,\;3.92{\pm}0.43,\;0.32{\pm}0.03,\;5.76{\pm}0.32$, and $32.47{\pm}0.25mg$/100g for ethanol extract, and hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol fraction, respectively. Treatment of ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiated cells with 3 OLEs prepared by using ethylacetate and butanol at concentrations 0.001, 0.005, and 0.01% respectively showed significant recovery of cell viabilities. Treatment of dexametason 1 mM reduced tumor necrotic factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ secretion by about 40%. UVB irradiated immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells were treated with 3 different OLEs at the same concentrations. Ethylacetate fraction showed the strongest inhibition activity with respect of reduction of the elevated (TNF)-${\alpha}$. Cytotoxicity of OLEs on the B16-F1 cells was evaluated through thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Ethylacetate fraction has no cytotoxicity in the range of 0.005-0.01%. A slight cytotoxicity was observed at the concentration of 0.1% butanol fraction of OLE that caused 10% decrease in cell viability.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.349-355
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• 2019

The anti-inflammatory effects of 4'-O-methylalpinumisoflavone (OMAI) has been reported in recent years. To develop effective and safe skin whitening agents, we investigated the anti-oxidative and melanogenic effects of OMAI isolated from fruit of Maclura tricuspidata Carrière (Cudrania tricuspidata) in macrophage and melanoma cell lines. In our results, OMAI showed effective superoxide scavenging activity and suppressed production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, α-melanocyte stimulation hormone (MSH)-induced production of melanin was also reduced by OMAI in B16F10 cells. Finally, OMAI significantly inhibited tyrosinase activity in B16F10 cells. These results suggest that OMAI suppressed melanin production via scavenging reactive oxygen species and inhibition of tyrosinase activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1200-1207
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• 2019

Ultraviolet radiation exposure is a major cause of extrinsic skin aging, which leads to skin hyperpigmentation. Loganin, a major iridoid glycoside obtained from Corni fructus, has anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and neuroprotective effects. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the anti-melanogenic effects of loganin in B16F10 melanocytes treated with ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}-MSH$) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). Anti-melanogenic activity was measured by treating cells with loganin at concentrations between 1 and $20{\mu}m$. Cell viability assays confirmed that doses of loganin up to $20{\mu}m$ were not cytotoxic. Loganin significantly and dose-dependently decreased intracellular melanin production. We also investigated potential molecular signaling pathways for the anti-melanogenesis effects of loganin. Western blotting showed that treatment with ${\alpha}-MSH$ and IBMX increased the phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and the gene expressions of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase. Addition of loganin suppressed these increases, while promoting the phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and the anti-melanogenesis response. Our data therefore indicated that loganin could attenuate the increased melanin synthesis induced by ${\alpha}-MSH$ and IBMX treatment of B16F10 melanocytes. This attenuation appears to occur by downregulation of CREB phosphorylation and MITF and tyrosinase gene expression and upregulation of ERK phosphorylation. These finding suggests that loganin could be a valuable candidate for treatment of skin diseases related to hyperpigmentation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.1382-1389
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• 2022

Asterias pectinifera, a species of starfish and cause of concern in the aquaculture industry, was recently identified as a source of non-toxic and highly water-soluble collagen peptides. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anti-photoaging functions of compounds formulated using collagen peptides from extracts of Asterias pectinifera and Halocynthia roretzi (AH). Our results showed that AH compounds have various skin protective functions, including antioxidant effects, determined by measuring the scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, as well as anti-melanogenic effects, determined by measuring tyrosinase inhibition activity. To determine whether ethosome-encapsulated AH compounds (E(AH)) exert ultraviolet (UV)-protective effects, human dermal fibroblasts or keratinocytes were incubated with E(AH) before and after exposure to UVA or UVB. E(AH) treatment led to inhibition of photoaging-induced secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and interleukin-6 and -8, which are associated with inflammatory responses during UV irradiation. Finally, the antibacterial effects of AH and E(AH) were confirmed against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Our results indicate that E(AH) has the potential for use in the development of cosmetics with a range of skin protective functions.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.506-511
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• 2014

Commelina communis Ledeb is a widely used medication for the treatment of antidiabetic, antioxidant and hypoglycemic agent in Korea. Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH) is a major factor to stimulate melanin synthesis in the skin. The purposes of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of extract from Commelina communis Ledeb (ECC) on ${\alpha}$-MSH-stimulated melanogenesis in B16F10 cells. ECC suppressed melanin synthesis and intracellular tyrosinase activity in B16F10 cells or ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced B16F10 cells in a dose dependent manner. In study on the melanogenic protein expressions, it had especially influence on expressions of tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein (TRP-1). Tyrosinase and TRP-1 expressions were gradually decreased in a dose-dependent. Additionally, the extract also decreased the ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced over-expression of tyrosinase and TRP-1. This results show that the anti-melanogenic activity of ECC is correlated with the suppression of tyrosinase and TRP-1 protein expressions in B16F10 cells.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.10a
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• pp.76-76
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and whitening action of Fagopyrum esculentum and F. tataricum buckwheat seeds depending on their germination time. In a previous study, we reported significant changes in sprout yield and phytochemical content in ethanol extracts from F. esculentum and F. tataricum seeds with increase in germination times. DPPH radical scavenging activities of F. tataricum increased with increasing germination time, whereas that of F. esculentum decreased. Next, we investigated anti-melanogenic activities of these species by estimation of melanin content and tyrosinase activity. Inhibition of melanin production in ${\alpha}-MSH$ (${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone)-induced B16F10 cells by extracts from these seeds were analyzed. Among the two, F. tataricum extracts were characterized by higher inhibitory activity against melanin production. In addition, when B16F10 cells were incubated with L-DOPA for detection of in situ tyrosinase activity, F. tataricum and F. esculentum extracts were observed to reduce melanin production in cells. Taken together, these results indicate that extracts from buckwheat seeds could influence cellular processes via modulation of tyrosinase activity. Hence, buckwheat seeds could be utilized as whitening agents in the cosmetic industries and as therapeutics for hyperpigmentation disorders in a clinical setting.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2018

In order to find new functional materials for the cosmetics application, we investigated the anti-oxidant and anti-melanogenic properties of Gentiana scabra extracts (GSE), which were prepared by the various extraction methods. Results showed that GSE had high DPPH radical scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner. Also, GSE inhibited the prodution of melanin in B16F10 melanoma cell as well as tyrosinase activity. We also found that GSE inhibited mRNA expression of tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1 and 2. In conclusion we suggest that GSE is applicable to cosmetics as a potential ingredient for their anti-oxidant and whitening effects.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1184-1194
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• 2020

Melanin is a major factor that darkens skin color as one of the defense systems to prevent the harmful effects of UV light. However, darkened skin from the localized or systemic accumulation of melanin is viewed in many cultures as an esthetic problem. Consequentially, searching for anti-melanogenic agents from natural sources is very popular worldwide. Previous screening of fermented rice products, obtained from various rice cultivars fermented with different sources of loog-pang (Thai traditional fermentation starter), revealed that the highest ability to reduce the melanin content in B16F10 melanoma cells was from unpolished black rice fermented with a defined starter mixture of microbes isolated from loog-pang E11. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of the fermented unpolished black rice (FUBR) on the inhibition of melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. The strongest reduction of cellular melanin content was found in the FUBR sap (FUBRS). The melanin reduction activity was consistent with the significant decrease in the intracellular tyrosinase activity. The FUBRS showed no cytotoxic effect to B16F10 melanoma or Hs68 human fibroblast cell lines. It also significantly reduced the transcript and protein expression levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP-1), TYRP-2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor. Furthermore, it induced a significantly increased level of phosphorylated ERK, p38 and Akt signaling pathways, which likely contributed to the negative regulation of melanogenesis. From these results, a model for the mechanism of FUBRS on melanogenesis inhibition was proposed. Moreover, these results strongly suggested that FUBRS possesses anti-melanogenesis activity with high potential for cosmeceutical application as a skin depigmenting agent.