• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2009

We found that silymarin exhibited the inhibitory effect on melanogenesis in a spontaneously immortalized mouse melanocyte cell line, Mel-Ab. Silymarin is a standardized extract obtained from the dried seeds of milk thistle (Silybum marianum Gaertn.). Silymarin significantly prevented melanin production in a dose-dependent manner with an $IC_{50}$ value of 28.2 ${\mu}g/mL$ without effects on cell viability. Also, silymarin inhibited tyrosinase activity in melanocyte, while it did not affect the catalytic activity of cell-free tyrosinase. Furthermore, Western blot analysis indicated that silymarin decreased the expression of tyrosinase protein. Silybin A/B and isosilybin A/B were also able to inhibit melanin production and tyrosinase expression in protein level. Double blind study on the clinical efficacy of a cream containing 2 % silymarin showed that silymarin have a significant skin whitening effect. Therefore, this study suggests that silymarin may be useful as a natural skin whitening agent.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2008

To develop a new natural whitening agent for cosmetics, we investigated effects of Acanthopanax sessiliflorum Seeman on melanogenesis. We prepared phenolic acid-rich extract including two phenolic acids, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, as predominant constituents from Acanthopanax sessiliflorum Seeman. Phenolic acid-rich extract showed ROS scavenging activities in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical and xanthine/xanthine oxidase system with the $IC_{50}$ values of $3.43{\pm}0.35{\mu}g/mL$ and $158.91{\pm}1.57{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Phenolic acid-rich fraction reduced melanin contents of B16 melanoma cells dose-dependantly and the decrease was $27.27{\pm}2.66%$ at a concentration of $100{\mu}g/mL$. And the phenolic acid-rich fraction reduced intracellular tyrosinase activity about $53.67{\pm}8.55%$ at a concentration of $100{\mu}g/mL$. Phenolic acid-rich extract inhibited tyrosinase and TRP-2 expression at protein level. These results suggest that phenolic acid-rich fraction reduced melanin formation by the inhibitions of tyrosinase activity and expression in B16 melanoma cells. Therefore, we suggest that phenolic acid-rich extract could be used as a whitening ingredient in cosmetics.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2019

Pueraria thomsonii Benth. as a medicinal ingredient, has been traditionally used in Chinese medicine to treat fever, acute dysentery, diarrhea, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The effects of P. thomsonii flower on skin have not been reported yet. In this study, the whitening effect of P. thomsonii flower was verified using B16F1 melanoma cells and HS68 fibroblasts. P. thomsonii flower extract reduced melanin contents of B16F1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. To identify its active components, we analyzed P. thomsonii flower extract using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). As a result, we identified three major isoflavones of tectorigenin, tectoridin, and tectorigenin 7-O-xylosylglucoside. At a non-cytotoxic concentration, the three components also reduced melanin contents of B16F1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The depigmentation effects were attributed to the reduced gene expression of tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). In order to elucidate another depigmentation mechanism, their effects on DKK-1, a fibroblast-derived depigmentation factor, was determined in HS68 cells. As a result, P. thomsonii flower extracts, tectoridin and tectorigenin 7-O-xylosylglucoside, reduced DKK-1 gene expression, while tectorigenin increased DKK-1 gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that tectorigenin can be used as an effective whitening agent that inhibit melanin synthesis in melanocytes and promote the secretion of depigmentation factor from fibroblasts.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.281-287
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• 2021

In this study, we analyzed the cosmetic applicability of extract from snow tea, native to Lijiang, Yunnan-province, China. After confirming the species as N. grossedentata through DNA analysis of Lijiang snow tea, experiments were conducted using representative tea, green tea, and a representative control group for each efficacy analysis. Both teas were extracted using 70% (v/v) ethanol aqueous solution. The polyphenol content in the Lijiang snow tea extract (gallic acid equivalent, 23.9 ± 3.2 mg/mL) was higher than that in green tea extract (16.4 ± 2.3 mg/mL). In contrast, the antioxidant (Radical scavenging, IC₅₀ 104 ㎍/mL), tyrosinase enzyme inhibitory (whitening agent, IC₅₀ 40.7 ㎍/mL), and Escherichia coli growth inhibitory (preservative) activities (IC₅₀ 2.85 mg/mL) were analyzed based on the solid content in the extract, and it was confirmed that the activities of Lijiang snow tea extract were superior to those of green tea extract (radical scavenging, IC₅₀ 234 ㎍/mL. It also showed similar efficacy to previously used active substances such as antioxidants (vitamin C, IC₅₀ 108 ㎍/mL), whitening agents (vitamin C, IC₅₀ 80㎍/mL), and preservatives (methylparaben, IC₅₀ 4.35 mg/mL). However, green tea was found to be better in collagenase inhibition activity (anti-wrinkle). Through this study, the cosmetic application potential of Lijiang snow tea is high.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.407-415
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activities on HaCaT and the whitening effects on B16F1 melanoma cells of Dendropanax morbifera leaf extract. In an antioxidative activity assay using HaCaT cells, the ethyl acetate ($50{\mu}g/ml$) and aglycone fractions ($25{\mu}g/ml$) of the D. morbifera leaf extract didn't exhibit any characteristics of cytotoxicity. When HaCaT cells were exposed to a single large dose ($800mJ/cm^2$) of UVB, the extracts protected the cells against UVB radiation. When HaCaT cells were treated with 10 mM $H_2O_2$ and $4{\mu}M$ rose bengal, the ethyl acetate ($6.25{\sim}50{\mu}g/ml$) and aglycone ($6.25{\sim}25{\mu}g/ml$) fractions protected the cells against oxidative damage in a concentration dependent manner. When the whitening effects of D. morbifera leaf extract were tested in melanoma B16/F1 cells treated with the a-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH), the extracts inhibited ${\alpha}$-MSH-stimulated intra/extracellular melanogenesis in a concentration dependent manner. The inhibitory effects of the ethyl acetate and aglycone fractions of D. morbifera leaf extract were 21% and 44% at $25{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Both are more effective than arbutin (15% at $25{\mu}g/ml$) which is known as a whitening agent. These results indicate that fractions of the D. morbifera leaf can function as cell protectants and natural antioxidants in biological systems, particularly skins exposed to UV radiation by quenching and/or scavenging $^1O_2$ and other ROS, and protecting cells against ROS. In addition, fractions of the D. morbifera leaf can be applied to new whitening cosmetics because of their inhibitory effects on ${\alpha}$-MSH stimulated melanogenesis in B16F1 melanoma cells.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2010

In this study, the antioxidative effects, inhibitory effects on tyrosinase of Cedrela sinensis extracts were investigated. The ethyl acetate fraction of extract ($3.54\;{\mu}g/mL$) and aglycone fraction of extract ($2.15\;{\mu}g/mL$) showed more excellent free radical (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH) scavenging activity ($FSC_{50}$) than the activity of (+)-$\alpha$-tocopherol ($8.98\;{\mu}g/mL$). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities ($OSC_{50}$) of Cedrela sinensis extracts on ROS generated in $Fe^{3+}$-EDTA/$H_2O_2$ system were investigated using the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay. The ethyl acetate fraction of extract ($0.15\;{\mu}g/mL$) and aglycone fraction of extract ($0.12\;{\mu}g/mL$) showed 10 times more excellent ROS scavenging activity than activity of L-ascorbic acid ($1.50\;{\mu}g/mL$). The protective effects of fractions of Cedrela sinensis on the rose-bengal sensitized photohemolysis of human erythrocytes were investigated. The ethyl acetate fraction of extract and aglycone fraction of extracts suppressed photohemolysis in a concentration dependent manner ($5{\sim}25\;{\mu}g/mL$). The inhibitory effect of Cedrela sinensis extracts on tyrosinase was investigated to assess their whitening efficacy. Inhibitory effects ($IC_{50}$) on tyrosinase were determined with ethyl acetate fraction of Cedrela sinensis extract ($48.00\;{\mu}g/mL$) and aglycone fraction of extract ($5.88\;{\mu}g/mL$). The aglycone fraction showed 40 times more remarkable tyrosinase inhibitory effect than whitening agent, arbutin ($226.88\;{\mu}g/mL$) These results indicate that fractions of Cedrela sinensis can be used as antioxidants in biological systems, particularly skin exposed to UV radiation by scavenging $^1O_2$ and other ROS, and protect cellular membranes against ROS. The fractions of Cedrela sinensis can be applicable to new functional cosmetics for antioxidant and whitening.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.31 no.1 s.49
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• pp.17-23
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• 2005

We had previously reported that Selina (selina-4(14), 7(11)-dien-8-one) was isolated from methanol extract of Afractylodes rhizome and has strong whitening activity in B16 melanoma cells. In this report, we demonstrated its action mechanism in melan-a cells, non-tumorigenic melanocytes. We also investigated the clinical efficacy of cosmetic preparation containing Selina. Selina reduced the melanin synthesis of Melan-a cells by $50\%$ at a concentration of $10 {\mu}g/mL$ without any apparent cytotoxicity. We also found that the treatment of cells with Selina decreased tyrosinase activity by $60\%$ at a concentration of $10 {\mu}g/mL$ but Selina was not a direct inhibitor of tyrosinase activities. To elucidate the action mechanism of Selina, we investigated the changes in mRNA and protein level of tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2 using RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. As a result, the mRNA and protein level of tyrosinase were markedly reduced at $10 {\mu}g/mL$ of Selina without any effect on TRP-1 and TRP-2. These results suggest that Selina exerts its whitening effect mainly through regulating expression of tyrosinase. A 7 week-clinical trial using formulation containing $0.2\%$ selina-4(14), 7(11)-dien-8-one with 20 volunteers resulted in statistically significant whitening effect (p < 0.05), without any adverse effect. Based on these results, Selina (selina-4(14), 7(11)-dien-8-one) can be s useful and safe ingredient for the cleanness and brightness of skin.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2022

In this research, the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiaging, and skin whitening properties of pulp and seed extracts of passion fruit were studied. The result of the primary skin irritation test using a skin-attached patch determined the skin irritation index to be 0.00 for the passion fruit extract. In addition, RAW 264.7 macrophages produce NO by stimulation of lipopolysaccharides, and the application of extracts to this resulted in significantly lower NOs, confirming the excellent anti-inflammatory properties of passion fruit extracts. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl test further confirmed that the passion fruit extract exhibits a good 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate radical scavenging ability of 5.11% and strong antioxidant properties. The presence of collagen type I in the skin is a measure of aging and various skin diseases. The results obtained from the analysis of the activity of human procollagen I alpha 1 confirmed that the passion fruit extract reduces the synthesis of procollagen. In addition, the skin whitening property of the passion fruit extract was confirmed by the melanin inhibition test, and a sample was obtained that contained more than 2% of arbutin, a whitening agent approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, which is generally present in the form of a white powder and is used as a functional ingredient. This confirms that the whitening efficacy of the passion fruit extract obtained from nature contributes to the development of functional raw materials for cosmetics and food.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.123-136
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• 2008

Objectives : To estimate the value of the Gyungokgo as therapeutic agent preventing against aging with an analysis of the ingredients and the bio-activating effects by enzymologic methods. Methods : A quantitative analysis of general ingredients' of the Gyungokgo's extract was done first. The effects on electronic donating ability, SOD-like activity, nitric oxide inhibition, xanthine oxidase inhibition, whitening effect have been investigated in the physiological activity measurement of function experiment. Results : The contained hydrolyzed amino acid is Valine, Aspartic acid, Arginine, Isoleucine and the contained free amino acid is Arginine, Phenylalanine, Valine, Glycine. The derivative of free amino acid is Phosphoserine, Carnocine, ${\gammer}$-Aminoisobutyric acid. And the Gyungokgo contains 14 species of minerals, K>Na>Ca>Mg>Fe>Al>Mn. Then, to assure of the Gyungokgo's anti-oxidation, these following subjects -polyphenol, electronic donating ability, SOD-like activity, nitric oxide inhibition, xanthine oxidase inhibition, tyrosinase inhibation- are analyzed and show high activity especially the most in chloroform extracts, (every ingredients written by the order of high amount) Conclusions : The Gyungokgo contains many materials functioning as anti-oxidation, neurotransmitter, anti-fatigue and immune agent.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.51-63
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• 2007

Objectives : For the congenital feeble, the Gongjindan is useful medicine. The experiment is to estimate the value of the Gongjindan as therapeutic agent preventing against aging with an analysis of the ingredients and the bio-activating effects by enzymologic methods. Methods : General ingredients' of the Gongjindan's extract were analyzed first and the quantitative analysis of a reducing sugar, a soluble protein, an amino acid and minerals was made. The Gongjindan, which is extracted, concentrated, and freeze drying with water, ethanol and chloroform, have got applied for the experiment. The effects on electronic donating ability, SOD-like activity, nitric oxide inhibition, xanthine oxidase inhibition, whitening effect have been investigated in the physiological activity measurement of function experiment. Results : The contained amino acid, in order of high amount, is Arginine, Alanine, Glutamic acid, Proline and the contained free amino acid is Glutamic acid, Leucine, Lysine, Phenylalanine. The derivative of free amino acid is ${\gamma}-Aminoisobutyric$ acid, Phosphoserine, Taurine. And the Gongjindan is containing 13 species of minerals in order of Ca>K>Na>Mg>Fe>AI>Mn. Then, to assure of the Gongjindan's capability of anti-oxidation, these following subjects-polyphenol, electronic donating ability, SOD-like activity, nitric oxide inhibition, xanthine oxidase inhibition, tyrosinase inhibition- are analyzed and show high activity especially the most in ethanol extracts. Conclusion : With this analysis of ingredients, the Gongjindan is containing many materials functioning as anti-oxidation, anti-aging, anti-fatigue, neurotransmitter and immune agent. Moreover, In every water, ethanol, chloroform extracts, the Gongjindan's capability of anti-oxidation is confirmed so that we can apply to patients' treatment clinically.