• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.77-82
• /
• 2008

We investigated several biological activities using the ethanol extract and its fractions from Pimpinella komarovii leaves to evaluate the usefulness of its extract as a functional biomaterial. The ethanol extract showed antioxidant activities, such as DPPH scavenging activity $(IC_{50}=231.8{\mu}g/m{\ell})$. superoxide scavenging activity $(IC_{50}=23.6{\mu}g/m{\ell})$, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity $(IC_{50}=587.8{\mu}g/m{\ell})$. Its EtOAc fraction showed the strongest antioxidant activities among several fractions. The inhibitory effect of ethanol extract on tyrosinase activity was higher than water fraction. When $50{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of EtOAc fraction was applied, the inhibition ratio of tyrosinase activity was much higher (42%) than that of melasolv. The EtOAc fraction also showed higher inhibitory effect on melanogenesis in Melan-a cells. The n-hexane and EtOAc fractions dose-dependently inhibited the NO production in a RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that extract of Pimpinella komarovii could be used as functional biomaterial in developing a skin whitening agent having the antioxidant activity.