• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.218-224
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• 2018

Background: Compound K (CK) is a ginsenoside, a metabolite of Panax ginseng. There is interest both in increasing skin health and antiaging using natural skin care products. In this study, we explored the possibility of using CK as a cosmetic ingredient. Methods: To assess the antiaging effect of CK, RT-PCR was performed, and expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-1, cyclooxygenase-2, and type I collagen were measured under UVB irradiation conditions. The skin hydrating effect of CK was tested by RT-PCR, and its regulation was explored through immunoblotting. Melanin content, melanin secretion, and tyrosinase activity assays were performed. Results: CK treatment reduced the production of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 in UVB irradiated NIH3T3 cells and recovered type I collagen expression level. Expression of skin hydrating factors-filaggrin, transglutaminase, and hyaluronic acid synthases-1 and -2-were augmented by CK and were modulated through the inhibitor of ${\kappa}B{\alpha}$, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, or extracellular signal-regulated kinases pathway. In the melanogenic response, CK did not regulate tyrosinase activity and melanin secretion, but increased melanin content in B16F10 cells was observed. Conclusion: Our data showed that CK has antiaging and hydrating effects. We suggest that CK could be used in cosmetic products to protect the skin from UVB rays and increase skin moisture level.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.82-93
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• 2004

Recently many efforts were focused to understanding the mechanical insights of melanogenesis to develop the agents for hyper-pigmentation and hypo-pigmentation. In the melanin biosynthetic pathway, tyrosinase is the rate limiting enzyme, and ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone(MSH) or cAMP-elevating agents stimulate melanogenesis and enhance the melanin synthesis and the tyrosinase activity. The author has analyzed the effects of Radix Trichosanthis on the basal Melanogenic activities of Bl6/F10 mouse melanoma cells, and on the ${\alpha}$-MSH or forskolin-induced melanogenesis. Radix Trichosanthis alone markedly suppressed melanin content and tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment of the cells with Radix Trichosanthis also suppressed the increase of ${\alpha}$-MSH(10 nM) or forskolin(20 ${\mu}$M)-induced melanin content and tyrosinase activity. The decrease in the tyrosinase activity was paralled by a decrease in the abundance of tyrosinase protein and tyrosinase promoter activity. Pretreatment of the cells with Radix Trichosanthis also inhibited the increase of forskolin(20 ${\mu}$M) induced the amount of tyrosinase protein and tyrosinase promoter activity. The results of DOPA staining revealed that pretreatment of the cells with Radix Trichosanthis showed less intensity than B16 melanoma cells stimulated with ${\alpha}$-MSH or forskolin. These results suggest that Radix Trichosanthis inhibits melanogenesis and abrogates ${\alpha}$-MSH and cAMP-induced melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.129-144
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• 2003

Recently many efforts were focused to understand the mechanical insights of melanogenesis to develop the agents for hyper-pigmentation and hypo-pigmentation. In the melanin biosynthetic pathway, tyrosinase is the rate limiting enzyme, and ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone(MSH) or cAMP-elevating agents stimulate melanogenesis and enhance the melanin synthesis and the tyrosinase activity. The author has analyzed the effects of Rhizoma Bletillae on the basal melanogenic activities of B16／F10 mouse melanoma cells, and on the ${\alpha}$-MSH or forskolin-induced melanogenesis. Rhizoma Bletillae alone markedly suppressed melanin content and tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment of the cells with Rhizoma Bletillae also suppressed the increase of ${\alpha}$-MSH (100 nM) or forskolin (20 ${\mu}M$)-induced melanin content and tyrosinase activity. The decrease in the tyrosinase activity was paralled by a decrease in the abundance of tyrosinase protein and tyrosinase promoter activity. Pretreatment of the cells with Rhizoma Bletillae also inhibited the increase of forskolin(20${\mu}M$) induced the amount of tyrosinase protein and tyrosinase promoter activity. The results of DOPA staining revealed that pretreatment of the cells with Rhizoma Bletillae showed less intensity than B16 melanoma cells stimulated with ${\alpha}$-MSH or forskolin. These results suggest that Rhizoma Bletillae inhibits melanogenesis and abrogates ${\alpha}$-MSH and cAMP-induced melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.193-202
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• 2008

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the etahnol extract of Saururus Herba and their dermal boiactivity properties related to cosmeceuticals such as depigmentation and radical scavenging effect. Methods : Using B16/F10 Melanin cells, we measured depigmentation effect of the etahnol extract of Saururus Herba. Antioxidant activities of the etahnol extract of Saururus Herba were determined by DPPH radical scavenging activity. Results : The etahnol extract of Saururus Herba showed considerable radical scavenging activity($SC_{50}$ : 25 ${\mu}g$/ml). Antioxidant activity is in a dose dependant manner. The etahnol extract of Saururus Herba down-regulated melanin synthesis effectively. B16 cells incubated with the etahnol extract of Saururus Herba showed reduces melanin formation and tyrosinase activity. The etahnol extract of Saururus Herba alone markedly suppressed melanin content and tyrosinase activity. Conclusions : These results suggest that the ethanol extract of Saururus Herba is a potent depigmentaion agent and it may be a candidate for antioxidant agent.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.337-342
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• 2009

Acquired pigmentary skin diseases such as abnormal melanogenesis, vitiligo, chloasma and inflammatory pigmentation are related to regulate the melanin production, In this study, an ethanol extract of Hovenia dulcis Thunb.(EHD) makedly inhibited melanin biosynthesis and suppressed, the protein expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1(TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related protein 2(TRP-2) in B16F10 cells. On the other hand, EHD did not inhibit mushroom tyrosinase activity. These results indicate that EHD may contribute to the inhibition of melanin biosynthesis through regulating tyrosinase activity and expression, and serve as a new candidate in the design of new skin-whitening or therapeutic agents.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.199-211
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• 2002

Acquired pigmentary skin diseases such as abnormal melanogenesis, vitiligo, chloasma and inflammatory pigmentation are related to regulate the melanin production. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Codonopsis lanceolata on the melanogenesis of HM3KO human melanoma cells biologically. The cells were treated for 5 days with Codonopsis lanceolata at several concentrations. Treatment with Codonopsis lanceolata suppressed melanin contents as a dose dependent manner without cytotoxicity and morphological change. And the extract of Codonopsis lanceolata also inhibited tyrosinase, a key enzyme forming melanin, in a dose-dependent manner. And it did not affect the DOPAchrome tautomerase(TRP-2) activity. These results suggest that Codonopsis lanceolata is a candidate for an efficient whitening agent which supresses melanogenesis by a Raper-Mason pathway.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.59-71
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• 2004

Melanin pigmentation has an essential role in protecting human skin against the damaging effects of ultra violet radiation, infection, environmental factor, etc. However abnormal melanin pigmentation can directly cause a number of congenital and acquired pigmentary skin disease. This study conducted to evaluate the effects of various partition extracts of Codonopsis lanceolata on the melanogenesis in the B 16 melanoma cells. The cells were treated for 3 days with various partition extracts of Codonopsis lanceolata. While treatment with the BuOH partition extract of Codonopsis lanceolata increased significantly the tyrosinase activity and melanin content, the n-Hexane or ethyl acetate partition extract dose-dependently suppressed them compared with untreated control. But ethyl acetate partition significantly decreased the cell viability. The H2O partiton extract at various concentrations did not exhibit any significant change on the melanogenesis. These results indicate that treatment with the n-Hexane partition extract inhibits the melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells, and raise the possibility that this extract may be effective in the abnormal melanin pigmentation as well as the whitening agent for the skin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.2121-2132
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• 2018

Abnormal melanin synthesis results in several hyperpigmentary disorders such as freckles, melanoderma, age spots, and other related conditions. In this study, we investigated the anti-melanogenic effects of an extract from the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CE) and potential mechanisms responsible for its inhibitory effect in B16F10, normal human epidermal melanocyte cells, and human skin-equivalent models. The CE extract showed significant dose-dependent inhibitory effects on ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating, hormone-induced melanin synthesis in cells. Additionally, the CE extract exhibited suppressive effects on the mRNA and protein expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1, and tyrosinase-related protein-2. The CE extract also inhibited the phosphorylation of protein kinase A and extracellular signal-related kinase, which function as upstream regulators of melanogenesis. Using a three-dimensional, reconstructed pigmented epidermis model, the CE-mediated, anti-pigmentation effects were confirmed by Fontana-Masson staining and melanin content assays. Taken together, CE extract can be used as an anti-pigmentation agent.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2019

Isomaltol glycoside is a hydrophilic furanic glycoside in which the amino acids and sugars of ginseng are thermally denatured during red ginseng production. Various skin whitening tests were conducted on isomaltol glycoside containing a lot of red ginseng extract in order to investigate the skin whitening effect as a cosmetic raw material. We have tested melanin content assay in B16-F10 cells, zebrafish embryo pigmentation assay, mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity, western blot analysis to determine skin whitening activity of isomaltol glycosides. In the zebrafish melanin content assay, isomaltol glycoside decreased total melanin content by about 20% and zebrafish tyrosinase activity by about 10% after treatment with 50 and $100{\mu}g/mL$ compared to the untreated control group. Isomaltol glycoside also showed a concentration-dependent decrease in melanin content in B16-F10 melanoma. Furthermore, it increased the expression of MITF phosphorylation factors p-AKT and p-ERK in B16-F10 melanoma and decreased the concentration of MITF. It also inhibited tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2 expression. The content of isomaltol glycoside was about 3% in the ginseng extract and about 1% in the ginseng root. Thus, isomaltol glycoside is considered as one of the main components that exhibit the whitening activity of ginseng when considered quantitatively as whitening activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.972-976
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• 2019

Polyopes affinis is a kind of red algae found in the South coast and near Jeju Island of Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Polyopes affinis ethanol extract (PAEE) on melanogenesis in ${\alpha}-MSH$ stimulated B16F10 melanoma cells. Melanoma cells were cultured for 72 hr treated with PAEE. Total melanin content and the activity of tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanogenesis, were measured. When the melanin content in B16F10 melanoma cells was tested, PAEE was decreased in a dose-dependent manner: treatment with 100, 300, and $500{\mu}g/ml$ caused 25%, 30%, and 35% reduction, respectively. Treatment of 100, 300, and $500{\mu}g/ml$ of PAEE caused 6%, 12%, and 21% reduction of tyrosinase activities in B16F10 melanoma cells. Also, PAEE suppressed the expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1, tyrosinase-related protein-2, and melanocyte-inducing transcription factor in B16F10 melanoma cells. A concentration of $500{\mu}g/ml$ of PAEE showed a greater decrease in tyrosinase activity, melanin content, and melanogenic enzyme protein expression. These results indicate that PAEE inhibits melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity, and Polyopes affinis ethanol extract could be used as a functional whitening agent.