• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.417-425
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the whitening effect of Angelicae dahuricae Radix water extract (ADWE) by its application on artificial tanning spots which were induced by 1,500 $mJ/cm^2$ of UVB radiation on the backs of brown guinea pigs weighing approximately 450~500 g. Thirty ${\mu}l$ of ADWE, at each application, were applied twice a day, 5 days a week, for 8 weeks to the guinea pigs. The artificial tanning spots were divided into 3 groups which were vehicle control group [propylene glycol: ethanol: water (5:3:2)], positive control group (2% hydroquinone) and experimental group (2% ADWE). The visible whitening effect and changes in melanin index were evaluated once a week. On completion of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed under anesthetization, and the artificial tanning spots were excised by biopsy punch and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) to observe histological change and also stained with Fontana-Masson's silver (F-M) and S-100 to observe melanin pigmentation and melanocytes. In the gross observation, the experimental group showed higher pigmentation than the positive control group but lower pigmentation than the vehicle control group. Histological observation confirmed that ADWE had a positive whitening effect by showing a lower distribution of melanin and melanocytes in the epidermis of experimental group than in the vehicle control group.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.233-245
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary habits and nutrient intakes on skin condition of female university students. The subjects were 95 female university students in Daegu. This study examined anthropometric measurements, dietary intake, food intake habits and skin condition (moisture, elasticity, sebum (U-zone, T-zone), pores, evenness and melanin pigmentation. The subjects in this study had an average age of 21.4, an average height and weight of 161.2 cm and 52.9 kg, respectively, and the average body mass index (BMI) was 20.3 $kg/m^2$. The means of skin elasticity, pores, evenness, and melanin pigmentation were within the normal range of women in their 20s and the skin moisture state was slightly lower than the normal range, which showed a dry tendency. The sebum in the U-zone and the T-zone was lower than the standard values, which showed less secretion in both areas. The subjects with high nut intake showed a better skin pore state (p < 0.05). Those with a high intake of instant foods showed a sig-nificantly low skin moisture and a significantly higher sebum rate (p < 0.05). The group with high skin elasticity and the group with less melanin pigmentation showed a significantly low animal protein intake (p < 0.05). The group with high skin elasticity also showed a significantly higher vitamin A and niacin intakes as well (p < 0.05). The group with high skin evenness showed a significantly lower animal lipid intake and a significantly higher vitamin E intake (p < 0.05). In addition, those with high skin elasticity and evenness as well as low melanin pigmentation showed a tendency of high intake of antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin A, carotene, vitamin C or vitamin E. In summary, a moderate intake of plant-based products and also the antioxidant vitamins within such products seems to have a beneficial effect on maintaining a healthy and good skin condition.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.76-88
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• 2009

Back ground and Objective : There is a need for objectification and scientific verification of Pattern identification in Oriental medicine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the skin characteristics of Qi deficiency and Blood deficiency animal models. Material and Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: normal group, Qi deficiency group and Blood deficiency group. The Qi deficiency animal model was induced through restriction of food (75g/kg/day) for 20 days. Blood deficiency animal model was induced by bleeding from tail vein(0.3 ml/time) 8 times. The normal animal model was kept without any intervention. The general condition was observed by measuring body weight, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, and hematological and biochemical parameters. The skin characteristics were observed by measuring the erythema index(EI), melanin index(Ml), transepidermal water loss(TEWL) and dermal microcirculation. Results : 1. In the Qi deficiency group, body weight was lower than the other groups. In the Qi deficiency group, blood pressure was lower than in the Normal group. There was no difference in body temperature and pulse rate between the three groups. 2. In the Qi deficiency group, blood sugar was lower than in the Blood deficiency group. There was no difference in triacylglycerol between the three groups. In the Qi deficiency group, the WBC count was lower than in the Blood deficiency group. RBC count was highest in the Qi deficiency group, Normal group and Blood deficiency group respectively. In the Qi deficiency group, Hb and Hct were higher than the other groups. 3. EI and MI were decreased in the Qi deficiency group, and EI showed a significant decrease. 4. EI and MI were increased in the Blood deficiency group, and MI showed a significant increase. 5. TEWL was significantly increased in the Qi deficiency group, while it was decreased in the Blood deficiency group, TEWL was highest in the Qi deficiency group, Normal group and Blood deficiency group respectively and all three groups showed significant difference. 6. In the Qi deficiency group, dermal microcirculation was lower than the other groups. Conclusion : The above results show that the erythema index decreases in the Qi deficiency model, and the melanin index increases in the Blood deficiency model. The Qi deficiency animal model shows an increase in transepidermal water loss, while the Blood deficiency animal model shows a decrease. Further studies should develop new models of Pattern Identification that are more specific.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.367-375
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• 2016

In this study, the skin-improving effect was investigated through the oral intake of DuOligo (51.67% lactulose and 15.8% galactooligosaccharides). Thirty seven healthy women (40~60 in ages) were divided into placebo group (dextrin) and treatment group (DuOligo group), and each group was given a sample for oral intake for 8 weeks. After that, corneometer value, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), melanin index, erythema index, and wrinkle index were measured. As a result, moisture content of DuOligo group increased 38.22% than control group after 8 weeks significantly (p < 0.01). The TEWL of control group decreased by $3.39g/h/m^2$ after 8 weeks but the TEWL of DuOligo group decreased by $5.32g/h/m^2$ after 8 weeks. The melanin index of the control group was significantly increased with times, but the melanin index of the DuOligo group did not show any significant difference with times. The total wrinkles, length of total wrinkles, number of wrinkles, and depth of wrinkles significantly decreased (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. These results suggested that the applicability of DuOligo as a skin improving functional material was confirmed.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2022

In this paper, a method to directly calculate the major elements of skin color such as melanin and hemoglobin from the RGB signal of the camera is proposed. The main elements of skin color typically measure spectral reflectance using specific equipment, and reconfigure the values at some wavelengths of the measured light. The values calculated by this method include such things as melanin index and erythema index, and require special equipment such as a spectral reflectance measuring device or a multi-spectral camera. It is difficult to find a direct calculation method for such component elements from a general digital camera, and a method of indirectly calculating the concentration of melanin and hemoglobin using independent component analysis has been proposed. This method targets a region of a certain RGB image, extracts characteristic vectors of melanin and hemoglobin, and calculates the concentration in a manner similar to that of Principal Component Analysis. The disadvantage of this method is that it is difficult to directly calculate the pixel unit because a group of pixels in a certain area is used as an input, and since the extracted feature vector is implemented by an optimization method, it tends to be calculated with a different value each time it is executed. The final calculation is determined in the form of an image representing the components of melanin and hemoglobin by converting it back to the RGB coordinate system without using the feature vector itself. In order to improve the disadvantages of this method, the proposed method is to calculate the component values of melanin and hemoglobin in a feature space rather than an RGB coordinate system using a feature vector, and calculate the spectral reflectance corresponding to the skin color using a general digital camera. Methods and methods of calculating detailed components constituting skin pigments such as melanin, oxidized hemoglobin, deoxidized hemoglobin, and carotenoid using spectral reflectance. The proposed method does not require special equipment such as a spectral reflectance measuring device or a multi-spectral camera, and unlike the existing method, direct calculation of the pixel unit is possible, and the same characteristics can be obtained even in repeated execution. The standard diviation of density for melanin and hemoglobin of proposed method was 15% compared to conventional and therefore gives 6 times stable.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.20 no.2 s.33
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• pp.199-212
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• 2007

Objective : The purpose of this clinical research was to investigate the effects of Seunggaltang on patients with atopic dermatitis. Methods : Thirteen patients were treated with Seunggaltang and ten patients were treated with placebo for 8 weeks. We observed skin humidity, skin sebum,, transepidermal water loss, skin melanin, skin erythema, total IgE class and number of allergen. And Clinic Index of Atopic Dermatitis(Extent, Intensity, Subjective symptoms, Total score) was used to evaluate the effects of Seunggaltang. Statistical analysis was performed by using paired sample T-test. Statistical significance was achieved if the probability was less than 5%(P<0.05). The result were as follows : 1. Statistically, Seunggaltang didn't showed significant effect on skin humidity, skin sebum, skin transepidermal water loss, skin melanin and skin erythema. 2. Statistically, Seunggaltang showed significant effect on Clinic Index of atopic dermatitis. 3. Statistically, Seunggaltang didn't showed significant effect on total IgE class and number of allergen. 4. Before and after treatment, the results of blood test and urinalysis were normal. Conclusion : We speculate that Seunggaltang has some therapeutic effects in mitigating the symptoms of atopic dermatitis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.86-95
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this clinical research was to investigate the effects of herbal cosmetics containing Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), an ingredient compound of various herbs including Vespae Nidus, on the Whitening Effects. Methods: A total of 20 subjects who visited Pusan National University Hospital from March 2nd, 2017 to April 11th, 2017 were included. In this study, we evaluated the visual evaluation, the melanin index (M) and erythema index (E) through skin analysis equipment, the subjective whitening improvement analysis, and the adverse reaction according to product use. Statistical analysis was performed with independent t-test and Mann-Whitney's U test. Statistical significance was achieved if the probability was less than 5% (p<0.05) Results: As a result of the visual evaluation, it was effective in improving skin whitening. The subjective whitening improvement analysis also showed positive results. However, no statistically significant differences were found between the test and control cosmetics in the melanin index (M) and erythema index (E) through skin analysis equipment. In the safety evaluation, some adverse reactions were reported, but no significant were observed directly from cosmetics. Conclusions: Considering the above results, we have confirmed the possibility of herbal cosmetics containing containing CAPE of Vespae Nidus Extracts.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.554-560
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• 2022

Background Hypertrophic scars cause aesthetic concerns and negatively affect the quality of life. A gold standard treatment for hypertrophic scars has not been established due to various responses of modalities. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is a noninvasive and affects scar remodeling by fibroblast regulation. This study investigated the effectiveness of ESWT for hypertrophic scars. Methods Twenty-nine patients were enrolled. All patients underwent ESWT once a week for 6 consecutive weeks. Their scars were assessed using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS), erythema index, melanin index, and scar pliability before treatment and again 4 weeks after treatment completion. Results Thirty-four hypertrophic scars in this study had persisted for between 6 months and 30 years. Most scars developed after surgical incision (55.88%). The chest and upper extremities were the predominant areas of occurrence (35.29% each). Most of the POSAS subscales and total scores were significantly improved 4 weeks after treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the pain, itching, and pigmentation subscale were improved. The pliability, melanin index, and erythema index were also improved, but without significance. The patients were satisfied with the results and symptoms alleviation, although subjective score changes were insignificant. No serious adverse events were found. The patients reported pruritus in 62.5% and good pain tolerance in 37.5%. Subgroup analyses found no differences in scar etiologies or properties at different parts of the body. Conclusion The ESWT is a modality for hypertrophic scar treatment with promising results. Most of POSAS subscales were significantly improved.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.312-315
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• 2008

Purpose: Amelanotic melanoma represents a melanoma with an absence or a small number of melanin pigments and comprises 2% of all melanomas. These melanomas are frequently misdiagnosed, probably because of its nonspecific clinical features and difficulty in diagnosis, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. We report a patient with amelanotic melanoma, who underwent surgical treatment with sentinel lymph node biopsy using gamma probe. Methods: A 32-year-old female was presented with a slowly growing ill-defined, hypopigmented nonerythematous lesion with nail defect on right index finger tip. Preoperative punch biopsy was performed, showing an amelanotic melanoma. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was done using gamma probe(Crystal probe system, CRYSTAL PHOTONICS GmbH, Germany) and confirmed no evidence of regional lymph node metastases. The patient underwent amputation at the proximal interphalangeal joint. Results: Histopathologic findings showed superficial spreading melanoma. There were no melanin pigments in Hematoxylin & Eosin stain but positive immunohistochemical stainings for S-100 protein and Hmb45, which were consistent with amelanotic melanoma. Patient's postoperative course was uneventful without any complication and had no evidence of recurrence of tumor in 6 months follow-up period. Conclusion: Amelanotic melanoma is extremely rare subtype of malignant melanoma with histopathologic findings of atypical melanocytes without melanin pigments. Early detection is crucial since survival is strongly related to tumor thickness and tissue invasion at the time of diagnosis. Wide excision is the treatment of choice and other conjunctive therapy has not been successful.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.85-93
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• 2016

We already reported that genetically engineered resveratrol-enriched rice (RR) showed to down-regulate skin melanogenesis. To be developed to increase the bioactivity of RR using calli from plants, RR was adopted for mass production using plant tissue culture technologies. In addition, high-pressure homogenization (HPH) was used to increase the biocompatibility and penetration of the calli from RR into the skin. We aimed to develop anti-melanogenic agents incorporating calli of RR (cRR) and nanoparticles by high-pressure homogenization, examining the synergistic effects on the inhibition of UVB-induced hyperpigmentation. Depigmentation was observed following topical application of micro-cRR, nano-calli of normal rice (cNR), and nano-cRR to ultraviolet B (UVB)-stimulated hyperpigmented guinea pig dorsal skin. Colorimetric analysis, tyrosinase immunostaining, and Fontana-Masson staining for UVB-promoted melanin were performed. Nano-cRR inhibited changes in the melanin color index caused by UVB-promoted hyperpigmentation, and demonstrated stronger anti-melanogenic potential than micro-cRR. In epidermal skin, nano-cRR repressed UVB-promoted melanin granules, thereby suppressing hyperpigmentation. The UVB-enhanced, highly expressed tyrosinase in the basal layer of the epidermis was inhibited by nano-cRR more prominently than by micro-cRR and nano-cNR. The anti-melanogenic potency of nano-cRR also depended on pH and particle size. Nano-cRR shows promising potential to regulate skin pigmentation following UVB exposure.