• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.155-159
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• 2016

Previous research showed that resveratrol (trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) and pinostilbene (trans-3-methoxy-4',5-dihydroxystilbene) were able to inhibit tyrosinase directly; however, anti-melanogenic effects of pterostilbene (trans-3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxystilbene) and resveratrol trimethyl ether (RTE) have not been compared. To investigate the hypopigmentation effects of pterostilbene and RTE, melanin contents and intracellular tyrosinase activity were determined by western blot analysis. Firstly, pterostilbene showed the inhibitory effects on ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-induced melanin synthesis stronger than RTE, resveratrol, and arbutin. Pterostilbene inhibited melanin biosynthesis in a dose-dependent manner in ${\alpha}$-MSH-stimulated B16/F10 murine melanoma cells. Specifically, melanin content and intracellular tyrosinase activity were inhibited by 63% and 58%, respectively, in response to treatment with $10{\mu}m$ of pterostilbene. The results of western blot analysis indicated that pterostilbene induced downregulation of tyrosinase protein expression and suppression of ${\alpha}$-MSH-stimulated melan-A protein expression stronger than RTE or resveratrol. Based on these results, our study suggests that pterostilbene can induce hypopigmentation effects more effectively than resveratrol and RTE, and it functions via downregulation of protein expression associated with hyperpigmentation in ${\alpha}$-MSH-triggered B16/F10 murine melanoma cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.206-211
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• 2009

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) plays an essential role in the stress response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and is the precursor of biologically active peptides such as adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), $\alpha$-melanocyte-stimulating hormone ($\alpha$-MSH), $\beta$-melanocyte-stimulation hormone ($\beta$-MSH) and $\beta$-endorphin. We have synthesized two different forms of POMC cDNA clones, POMC-I and POMC-II, from a pituitary cDNA library for Paralichthys olivaceus, or Japanese flounder. jfPOMC-I cDNA consists of 954bp and encodes a polypeptide of 216 amino acid residues, whereas jfPOMC-II consists of 971bp which encode a polypeptide of 194 amino acid residues. The high levels of jfPOMC-I and -II mRNAs detected in the pituitary tissue and moderate levels detected in the brain tissue plus our quantitative RT-PCR analysis, which showed there to be no significant difference between the levels of jfPOMC-I and -II mRNAs, indicate that there may be no functional separation between these two mRNAs in the flounder.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1617-1624
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• 2010

Recently, it has been found that Asiasari radix showed a hypopigmenting effect on melanogenesis through activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-activated kinase (ERK) in B16F10 melanoma cells. However, the hypopigmenting effect of A. radix on the $\alpha$-melanocyte stimulating hormone ($\alpha$-MSH)-stimulated melanogenesis has remained unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory mechanism of the partially purified A. radix (PPAR)-induced hypopigmentating effects on $\alpha$-MSH-stimulated melanogenesis in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. PPAR strongly inhibited tyrosinase activity and leads to decreased melanin synthesis in $\alpha$-MSH-stimulated B16F10 melanoma cells. PPAR also decreased the $\alpha$-MSH-induced over-expression of the melanogenic enzymes, tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1, dopachrome tautomerase (Dct) and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). We further showed that PPAR inhibits $\alpha$-MSH-induced melanogenesis via phosphorylation of MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt, and that their activation was blocked by MEK inhibitors, PD98059 and PI3K inhibitors, LY294002 in $\alpha$-MSH-stimulated B16F10 melanoma cells. These results suggest that PPAR inhibits $\alpha$-MSH-induced melanogenesis by activation of MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt through MITF degradation, which may lead to down-regulation of tyrosinase.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.343-348
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• 2013

We investigated the inhibitory effects of hesperidin on melanogenesis. To find melanosome transport inhibitor from natural products, we collected the structural information of natural products from Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) and performed pharmacophore-based in silico screening for Rab27A and melanophilin (MLPH). Hesperidin did not inhibit melanin production in B16F10 murine melanoma cells stimulated with ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH), and also did not affect the catalytic activity of tyrosinase. But, hesperidin inhibited melanosome transport in melanocyte and showed skin lightening effect in pigmented reconstructed epidermis model. Therefore, we suggest that hesperidin is a useful inhibitor of melanosome transport and it might be applied to whitening agent.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.173-179
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Gastrodia elata Blume (GEB), a traditional herbal medicine, has been used to treat a wide range of neurological disorders (e.g., paralysis and stroke) and skin problems (e.g., atopic dermatitis and eczema) in oriental medicine. This study was designed to investigate whether GEB extract inhibits melanogenesis activity in murine B16F10 melanoma. MATERIALS/METHOD: Murine B16F10 cells were treated with 0-5 mg/mL of GEB extract or $400{\mu}g/mL$ arbutin (a positive control) for 72 h after treatment with/without 200 nM alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH) for 24 h. Melanin concentration, tyrosinase activity, mRNA levels, and protein expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (Trp)1, and Trp2 were analyzed in ${\alpha}$-MSH-untreated and ${\alpha}$-MSH-treated B16F10 cells. RESULTS: Treatment with 200 nM ${\alpha}$-MSH induced almost 2-fold melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity along with increased mRNA levels and protein expression of MITF, tyrosinase, Trp1 and Trp2. Irrespective of ${\alpha}$-MSH stimulation, GEB extract at doses of 0.5-5 mg/mL inhibited all these markers for skin whitening in a dose-dependent manner. While lower doses (0.5-1 mg/mL) of GEB extract generally had a tendency to decrease melanogenesis, tyrosinase activity, and mRNA levels and protein expression of MITF, tyrosinase, Trp1, and Trp2, higher doses (2-5 mg/mL) significantly inhibited all these markers in ${\alpha}$-MSH-treated B16F10 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These inhibitory effects of the GEB extract at higher concentrations were similar to those of $400{\mu}g/mL$ arbutin, a well-known depigmenting agent. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that GEB displays dose-dependent inhibition of melanin synthesis through the suppression of tyrosinase activity as well as molecular levels of MITF, tyrosinase, Trp1, and Trp2 in murine B16F10 melanoma. Therefore, GEB may be an effective and natural skin-whitening agent for application in the cosmetic industry.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 2020

In this study, the efficacy of melanoma cell B16F10 was investigated using the Korean native plant Oplismenus undulatifolius (OU). First, the cell viability of the extract was more than 90% when treated with 15 ㎍/mL of phenolics from OU. The results showed that melanin biosynthesis and cellular tyrosinase synthesis were inhibited by treatment with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-stimulated mouse melanoma cell B16F10 at a concentration of 15 ㎍/mL of phenolics for cell-line efficacy. The expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1, TRP-2, and microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF) protein was confirmed by western blot to investigate the effect of phenolics from OU on melanin biosynthesis. When treated with phenolics from OU 15 ㎍/mL, tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and MITF decreased the protein expression level. In particular, tyrosinase, TRP-1, and MITF inhibited the production amount to a level similar to that of the non-treated normal group, indicating that the effect was excellent. Therefore, phenolics from OU acts as an inhibitor of tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and its transcription factor MITF, and participates in melanin biosynthesis mechanism. These results suggested the potential for development as a material.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.705-711
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• 2014

In order to develop a skin-whitening agent, melanin contents and intracellular tyrosinase activity were determined by western blotting. Ethyl acetate fractions of 80% ethanol extracts from lily (Lilium Oriental Hybrid 'Siberia') bulbs (R-EA) inhibited melanin synthesis in a dose-dependent manner in ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH)-treated B16/F10 murine melanoma cells. Intracellular tyrosinase activity and melanin contents were suppressed by 45% and 74%, respectively, in response to treatment with $100{\mu}g/mL$ of R-EA. Examination of protein expression associated with ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanogenesis showed that tyrosinase related protein (TRP)-1 was inhibited more strongly than tyrosinase, and these results were correlated with stronger inhibition of melanin synthesis than intracellular tyrosinase activity. Taken together, R-EA containing p-coumaric acid and resveratrol could be used as a hypopigmentation agent through suppression of sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation via melanogenic induction.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2014

We have developed 8 peptide derivatives as potential MC1R antagonists and their inhibitory effects on ${\alpha}$-MSH induced cell growth in cultured normal human melanocytes (NHM) were investigated. From these experiments, the two most potent peptide derivatives, 5-phenylvaleric acid-(D)His-Arg-Trp-$(Lys)_6NH_2$ (P 6) and 5-phenylvaleric acid-(D)His-Arg-Trp-$(Lys)_9NH_2$ (P 7) were selected for further studies. In ${\alpha}$-MSH depleted NHM cells, we have found that the treatment with 1 ${\mu}M$ of these two peptide derivatives, P 6 and P 7, inhibited the cell proliferation induced by the addition of 1 nM ${\alpha}$- MSH by 70% and 72%, respectively. In NHM cells without previous ${\alpha}$-MSH depletion, 1 ${\mu}M$ treatment in the presence of 10 nM ${\alpha}$-MSH resulted in 70% (P 6) and 80% (P 7) decrease in cell growth and 64% (P 6) and 71% (P 7) reduction in melanin synthesis, respectively. The peptide derivatives P 6 and P 7 were proved to have no apparent cytotoxicity and inhibited the elevation of intracellular cAMP concentration triggered by ${\alpha}$-MSH. In conclusion, our data suggest that the peptide derivatives reported in this study, 5-phenylvaleric acid-(D)His-Arg-Trp-$(Lys)_6NH_2$ (P 6) and 5-phenylvaleric acid-(D)His- Arg-Trp-$(Lys)_9NH_2$ (P 7) strongly antagonize ${\alpha}$-MSH, inhibit cell proliferation and melanin synthesis, and lower the intracellular cAMP concentration, hence have a promising potential as a novel skin lightening agent.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.509-515
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The root of Vitis amurensis Ruprecht, a sort of wild-growing grape, has been used in oriental medicine for treatment of skin ailments; however, its dermatological activity is not sufficiently understood. The aim of this study was to investigate tyrosinase inhibitory and anti-melanogenic activities of V. amurensis Ruprecht root methanol extract (VARM) in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells and to attempt to isolate and identify the active compound issued from VARM. MATERIALS/METHODS: Anti-melanogenic activity of VARM was analyzed in ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-stimulated B16F10 cells through evaluation of antioxidative activity as well as inhibited tyrosinase activity and melanin contents compared with those of kojic acid and arbutin. After anti-melanogenic analysis of VARM, serial fractionation, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and thin layer chromatorgraphy (TLC) were applied for identification of active compounds contained in VARM. RESULTS: VARM significantly inhibited oxidative stress and tyrosinase activity and attenuated ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanin production in B16F10 cells. For isolation of active compounds, VARM was fractionated using a series of organic solvents, including dichloromethane ($CH_2Cl_2$), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol (n-BuOH). Among fractions showing anti-melanogenic activity, the CH2Cl2 fraction induced the most potent attenuation of melanogenesis without cytotoxicity and the major compound in the $CH_2Cl_2$ fraction was identified as betulinic acid. Betulinic acid isolated from the $CH_2Cl_2$ fraction of VARM significantly attenuated ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanogenesis in a dose dependent manner, which was stronger than that of arbutin used as a positive control. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that VARM inhibits oxidative stress, tyrosinase activity, and ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanogenesis in B16F10 cells, due primarily to the active compound, betulinic acid, in the $CH_2Cl_2$ fraction.

• 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.