• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.31 no.3 s.52
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• pp.273-277
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• 2005

This study was performed to develop new cosmeceutical agents with sebosuppressive activity from native plant extracts in Korea. Inhibitory efforts of the extracts on $5{\alpha}-reductase$ (5-AR) were evaluated by enzyme kinetics analysis using UV-spectrophotometric method. Two kinds of enzyme suspensions as 5-AR sources were prepared from rat liver tissue and cultured hSG cells. The sebosuppressive effects were determined by measuring the total lipid quantity produced in cultured hSG cells after incubation with the extracts. As a result, Pinus thunbergii extracts showed the most potent 5-AR inhibitory effects. Its $K_i$ values were 0.0002% and 0.0014% for rat liver 5-AR and human sebaceous gland 5-AR, respectively. Addition of Pinus thunberii extract to hSG cells showed 48% reduction in total lipid production at 0.005% concentration. In conclusion, Pinus thunbergii extracts can be used as a cosmeceutical agent to regulate sebum production and to alleviate the sebum-involved skin diseases, such as acne and seborrheic dermatitis.