• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.8.1-8.9
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• 2020

Background: The present study investigates the potent skin whitening ability of ethanol extract from the brown alga, Padina boryana (PBE) which was collected in the shores of Fulhadhoo Island, the Maldives, and its specific pathways of action. The effect of PBE which contains a rich amount of polyphenols was evaluated using B16F10 murine melanoma cells and provides insight to the underlying mechanisms with reference to the inhibition of melanin formation. Methods: Melanin synthesis and cellular tyrosinase inhibition were assessed in the α-MSH-stimulated melanocytes. Melanogenic pathway-related protein expressions were investigated via Western blotting. ERK 42/44 was particularly examined considering its involvement in the melanogenic pathway. Further, RT-qPCR techniques were involved in gene expression analysis. Results: PBE dose-dependently inhibited the cellular melanin synthesis and tyrosinase levels. Western blotting revealed the potential of PBE to downregulate microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, and tyrosinase-related protein-1 and protein-2 (TRP-1 and TRP-2). Moreover, results explained the phosphorylation of ERK was sustained via PBE and hence declined the ultimate melanin synthesis. Gene expression analysis reinforced the results obtained. Conclusions: The study provides substantial evidence to express the potential of PBE to inhibit B16F10 melanoma cell melanin synthesis. Concisely, results suggest the ability of PBE to be involved in medicinal and cosmeceutical applications.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.56-56
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• 2023

The cone of Pinus rigida × Pinus taeda (PRT), a plant in the Pinaceae family, has long been used in traditional medicine to treat hemostasis, bruises, and burns. Previous research has shown that regulating oxidation-reduction reactions in reactive oxygen species can help inhibit melanogenesis, the process of melanin synthesis, which is a common target for addressing hyperpigmentation. Inhibiting tyrosinase is also known to be effective in this regard. Based on these findings, we conducted an investigation into the inhibitory effect of the ethyl acetate fraction of PRT (ERT) on melanogenesis in B16 F10 cells. We know that the expression levels of melanin biosynthesis-related proteins, including tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2, are regulated by MITF (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor) and cAMP, with cAMP affecting the activity of protein kinase A (PKA). PKA can reduce melanogenesis, and CREB reduces the phosphorylation of melanin-producing enzymes. In addition, the MAPK signaling pathway, composed of ERK, JNK, p38, and other factors, is also known to play a role in the inhibition of melanogenesis in melanocytes. Our immunoblotting results showed that ERT inhibited the expression of melanin production-related proteins (tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and MITF) that were significantly increased by a-MSH treatment to promote melanin production. Furthermore, the phosphorylation levels of factors related to cAMP/PKA/CREB and MAPK signaling pathways were significantly reduced without affecting the total form. In conclusion, we believe that treatment with ERT can inhibit melanin synthesis by modulating the phosphorylation of cAMP/PKA/CREB and MAPK signaling pathways at the cellular level. These findings suggest the potential of ERT as a raw material for functional cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, thanks to its antioxidant activity and ability to inhibit melanogenesis. We thought that these findings of ERT as a natural plant resource will inspire further research and development in this area.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.148-157
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• 2019

A 70% ethanol extract of Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. was investigated for its whitening activity for application as a functional ingredient in cosmetic products. At the E. annuus extract concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$, the electron-donating ability was found to be 67.83%, the tyrosinase inhibitory effect (related to skin-whitening) was 69%, the elastase inhibitory effect (related to skin-wrinkling) was 69%, and the astringent effect was 80%. The $ABTS^+$ radical-scavenging ability was 87% at the $500{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. In the cell viability test measured on melanoma cells, 96% of the cells treated with $100{\mu}g/ml$ of the extract were viable. According to the western blot results, the protein expression of the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2 was decreased by 60.22%, 47.83%, 54.79%, and 67.88%, respectively, at the extract concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$. The protein expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase (p-ERK) and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) was decreased with increasing concentrations of the extract. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of the extract showed that the mRNA expression of MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2 was decreased by 86.51%, 85.22%, 74.26%, and 66.66%, respectively, at $100{\mu}g/ml$ extract concentration. The findings suggest that the 70% ethanol extract from E. annuus (L.) Pers. has potential as a cosmeceutical ingredient with whitening effect.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1063-1069
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• 2014

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to lead to oxidation of lipids, proteins, and DNA and cause skin damage. Moreover, ROS promote melanogenesis, which causes melasma, age spots, and freckle. The main compounds of the herbal medicines Poria cocas, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and Ulmus macrocarpa were reported to be parchymic acid, glabridin, and flavonoids, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the whitening and antioxidant effects of a mixture of P. cocas, G. uralensis, and U. macrocarpa extracts (PGUE) in B16F1 cells to develop whitening cosmetics. PGUE inhibited DPPH radicals and lipid peroxidation, in addition to high reduction power, compared with Glycyrrhiza uralensis ethylacetate extracts (GUEE). Furthermore, PGUE exhibited a protective effect against DNA oxidation induced by the hydroxyl radicals. In addition to its antioxidant activity, the inhibitory activity of PGUE against tyrosinase, which is associated with melanogenesis, was greater than that of arbutin used as a positive control. Moreover, PGUE exerted an inhibitory effect on melanin synthesis in live melanoma cells and reduced the expression levels of superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1) and tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1). These results indicate that PGUE has skin whitening and antioxidant effects, suggesting that this mixture can be used as the main ingredient in the development of effective whitening cosmetics.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.341-347
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• 2014

This study was aimed to investigate skin whitening effects of Nomura's jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai) hydrolyzed extracts (NHE). The extracts were prepared through the hydrolysis of N. nomurai using commercial proteolytic enzymes such as Protamex, Alcalase, Flavourzyme and Neutrase with optimum pHs (pH 5-8) at $55^{\circ}C$. Their whitening activities were examined from the inhibition of melanin synthesis using B16-F1 cell lines. Among the examined samples, Neutrase-treated extract (N-NHE) showed the most significant inhibition effect on melanin synthesis by 89.9% at a concentration of $100{\mu}g/mL$. This sample decreased the expression of tyrosinase and TRP-1 (tyrosinase related protein-1) proteins as well. These results suggested the potential application of NHE as whitening ingredients in cosmetic preparation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.681-687
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• 2018

Recently, several researchers have been developing cosmetics from natural ingredients for skin whitening and anti-aging products. The red sea cucumber (RSC), Apostichopus japonicas, is a species of sea cucumber in the family stichopodiae, which is widely distributed in China, Japan, and Korea. To use Red Sea Cucumber as a cosmetic ingredient, its inhibitory effects on melanogenesis and the anti-aging effects of RSC extracts were investigated. First, a tyrosinase activity assay was performed, which showed that RSC inhibited tyrosinase activity at a concentration of $200{\mu}g/ml$. An MTT assay was carried out to evaluate cell toxicity, and the results showed that RSC extract has no cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein 1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase related protein 2 (TRP-2), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) genes treated with RSC extract in B16F10 and HaCaT cells decreased. Moreover, a wound-healing assay was performed to identify the cell regeneration effect of RSC extracts. Also, a skin turnover effect was confirmed by creating a three-dimensional cell culture with HaCaT and human fibroblasts. Altogether, the results suggested that Red Sea Cucumber may possess a high ability to induce whitening and anti-wrinkle effects as a cosmeceutical ingredient.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.468-473
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• 2014

Dendropanax morbifera (D. morbifera) grows in the southern coastal areas and on Jeju Island in Korea. In this study, D. morbifera leaf extract was investigated to determine the mechanism of its whitening effect. The inhibitory activities of the extract on melanogenesis were tested in B16 melanoma cells treated with the ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH). D. morbifera leaf extracts remarkably decreased the melanin content at 25 and $50{\mu}g/mL$. The extracts significantly inhibited the intracellular tyrosinase activity and protein expression of tyrosinase and tyrosinase related protein-2 (TRP-2). In conclusion, D. morbifera leaf extracts would show a whitening effect by inhibiting intracellular tyrosinase activities and the expression of enzymes directly involved in the melanin biosynthesis. The results indicate that fractions of D. morbifera leaf extracts show potential for application as a whitening agent in the new whitening cosmetics.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.949-957
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• 2024

There has been a growing interest in skin beauty and antimelanogenic products. Melanogenesis is the process of melanin synthesis whereby melanocytes are activated by UV light or hormone stimulation to produce melanin. Melanogenesis is mediated by several enzymes, such as tyrosinase (TYR), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2. In this study, we investigated the effect of Tuber himalayense extract on melanin synthesis in α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-treated B16F10 melanoma cells. We confirmed that T. himalayense extract was not toxic to α-MSH-treated B16F10 melanoma cells and exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on melanin synthesis at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml. Additionally, the T. himalayense extract inhibited melanin, TRP-1, TRP-2, tyrosinase, and MITF, which are enzymes involved in melanin synthesis, in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, T. himalayense extract inhibited the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. Therefore, we hypothesized that various components of T. himalayense extract affect multiple factors involved in melanogenesis in B16F10 cells. Our results indicate that T. himalayense extract could potentially be used as a new material for preparing whitening cosmetics.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2016

Melanin is produced by melanocytes of the melanoepidermic unit and other cell types. These cells secrete and distribute the melanin pigment, which provides protection from ultraviolet radiation. In this study, the inhibitory activity against tyrosinase and melanin biosynthesis in B16F10 melanoma cells and anti-wrinkling effects on human dermal fibroblasts of Dendrobium speciosum ethanol extract were investigated. The Dendrobium speciosum extract inhibited melanin biosynthesis and tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner in comparison with an untreated control group. Treatment with the Dendrobium speciosum extract suppressed α-MSH-stimulated melanogenesis in B16F10 cells and the dendrite outgrowth of melanocyte/melanoma cells. The α-MSH-induced mRNA expression of tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2) and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) was significantly attenuated in a concentration-dependent manner by Dendrobium speciosum treatment. In addition, Dendrobium speciosum treatment increased production of type I procollagen synthesis in human dermal fibroblasts. Dendrobium speciosum ethanol extract exhibited a potent inhibitory effect on melanin biosynthesis, tyrosinase activity and increased procollagen synthesis. These results indicate that Dendrobium speciosum shows promise as an ingredient in cosmeceutical products due to its whitening and anti-wrinkle effects.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

Codium fragile (Suringar) Hariot, a green alga of the Codiales family, has been reported to have several bioactive properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its antiobesity and whitening effects and their underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the antiobesity and melanogenesis inhibitory effects of C. fragile using methanol extracts of C. fragile (MECF). The results of this study revealed that MECF inhibited the accumulation of lipid droplets and triacylglycerol in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which was associated with the inhibition of the expression of adipogenesis-related transcription factors, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBPα), and C/EBPβ, which function as the key regulators of adipogenesis. Also, MECF reduced tyrosinase activity and melanin content in B16F10 cells as well as the expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), TRP-2, and microphthalmia-related transcription factor in the presence of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Taken together, our findings suggest that the extract of C. fragile could be considered a promising functional ingredient for the prevention and treatment of obesity and skin pigmentation in the food and cosmetic industry.