• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.1 s.140
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

To develop an whitening cosmetics, we isolated the melanogenesis inhibitors from the unripe fruits of Poncirus trifoliata (Rutaceae). Isolated compounds were identified as poncirin(l), naringin(2), bis(2-methylheptyl)phthalate(3), avenalumic acid methyl ester(4) by comparison of physical and spectral data with those reported in the literature. Among the isolated compounds, bis(2-methylheptyl)phthalate showed most potent inhibitory effect on the melanogenesis in cultured B-16 mouse melanoma cell lines$(IC_{50},\;36.8\;{\mu}M)$ compared with kojic acid$(IC_{50},\;150\;{\mu}M)$.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.167-171
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• 2010

The present study aims to evaluate Cordyceps militaris water extract (CMWE) with a view to develop melanogenesis inhibitors. Inhibitory activities of CMWE against tyrosinase, L-DOPA(L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) oxidation, and melanin biosynthesis in B16 mouse melanoma cells were investigated. CMWE, at $5000\;{\mu}g/ml$, inhibited tyrosinase activity of 71% and DOPA oxidation of 40% as reacting with L-DOPA. Furthermore, B16 mouse melanoma cell survived over 50% from low to high dose on MTT assay, and CMWE markedly inhibited (> 50%) melanin synthesis at $5000\;{\mu}g/ml$. The inhibitory effect of CMWE on melanogenesis was attributed to enhancement of tyrosinase degradation. Key enzyme of melanin biosynthesis is tyrosinase which catalyses a beginning step from tyrosine to DOPA quinine and melanin formation step, respectively. These results indicated that CMWE may be a potential source of novel whitening agents for cosmetic or therapeutic application.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2022

In this study, derivatives of trimethoxybenzene were investigated as inhibitors of melanogenesis. We examined the effects of methyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate (MTB), ethyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate (ETB), methyl 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamate (MTC), and ethyl 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamate (ETC). First, the inhibitory effects of these agents on melanin production were evaluated using α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-stimulated B16F10 melanoma cells. We found that all derivatives decreased α-MSH-induced melanin production in B16F10 melanoma cells; ETC showed a strong inhibitory effect at half of the concentration of the other derivatives. As tyrosinase is considered a key enzyme of melanogenesis, we also examined whether the derivatives inhibited tyrosinase activity. MTC and ETC reduced mushroom tyrosinase activity and expression levels of α-MSH-induced B16F10 cellular tyrosinase protein. Inhibitory effects of all derivatives on α-MSH-induced B16F10 cellular tyrosinase activity were shown in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, the derivatives were exposed to diphenylpicrylhydrazyl free radical to examine their antioxidant characteristics. All derivatives showed considerable antioxidant activity, which was 2-fold higher than that of arbutin. In conclusion, the trimethoxybenzene derivatives, including MTB, ETB, MTC, and ETC exerted anti-melanogenic and antioxidant effects on α-MSH-stimulated melanogenesis, demonstrating their potential for use as novel hypopigmenting agents and antioxidants.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.747-753
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• 2004

Effects of methanolic extract from Adenophorae Radix (AR) on melanogenesis were investigated in mouse melanoma B16F10 cells. The methanol extract of AR was partitioned into Hexane, Ethyl acetate (EA), Butanol, H₂O, and exogenously added to the culture medium for 72 hours at the concentration of 10, 50, 100 and 200 ㎍/㎖. Of the four partitions, Hexane and EA partion of AR reduced tyrosinase activity, which is the key enzyme for a melanogenesis, as well as melanin contents. But the EA partition was less toxic for B16F10 cells and has more efficient melanin-reducing effect than the former. In addition, the EA partition dramatically lightened the color of cell pellet and significantly decreased the level of tyrosinase protein expression. In these results, EA partition of AR reduced melanin synthesis of B16F10 mouse melanoma cells by down regulating the tyrosinase activity and tyrosinase protein expression. Therefore, it is anticipated that AR is a candidate for an efficient whitening agent which supresses melanogenesis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.440-445
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• 2004

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Adenophorae Radix (AR) on melanogenesis of B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. The cells were treated for 5 days with AR at several concentrations. Treatment with AR suppressed melanin contents as a dose dependent manner without cytotoxicity and morphological change. And the extract of AR also inhibited tyrosinase activity, a key enzyme forming melanin, in a dose-dependent manner, Treatment of the cells with Adenophorae Radix also suppressed the increase of α-MSH (10 nM)-induced melanin contents and tyrosinase activity. These results suggest that AR inhibits melanogenesis and abrogates α-MSH-induced melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.201-204
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• 2002

Epidermal cells produce a panel of antioxidants as well as cytokines after UVB irradiation, which counteract reactive oxygen species, however, how these antioxidants might regulate melanogenesis is unclear. An important constituent of the cellular antioxidant buffering system which controls the redox state of proteins is thioredoxin (TRX), a 13-kD protein that catalyzes thiol-disulfide exchange reactions, regulates activation of transcription factors, and possesses several other biological functions similar to cytokines. TRX suppressed the UVB-induced production and secretion of $\alpha$-melanocyte stimulating hormone ($\alpha$-MSH) and of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and also suppressed proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA expression by normal human keratinocyte (KC)s. Further, L-cysteine, N-acetyl-cysteine, $\alpha$-tocopheryl ferulate showed suppressive effect on UVB-induced POMC mRNA expression. However, TRX released from UVB-irradiated KCs stimulated melanogenesis by up-regulating MSH receptor expression and its binding activity in melanocyte (MC)s. UVB-induced KC derived cytokines such as IL1, IL6, and ET1 upregulated MSH-receptor binding ability as well as MCl-R mRNA expression in cultured normal human MCs. MCl-R has a tendency to be upregulated by UVB-induced KC-derived cytokines as well as by direct UVB irradiation. These results suggest that antioxidants such as TRX suppresses UVB induction of POMC, but in the case of MCl-R, this gene can be mainly in the trend of upregulation by UVB-induced KC-derived factors including TRX.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.375-379
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• 2005

The green marine algae, Capsosiphon fulvescens is one of the important economic seaweeds cultured in Korea. In this study, we investigated the effects of Capsosiphon fulvescens on melanogenesis using B16 cells. Our results showed that Capsosiphon fulvescens significantly inhibits melanin synthesis and it reduces the activity of tyrosinase, the rate-limiting melanogenic enzyme. Western Blot analysis using anti-tyrosinase antibody revealed that Capsosiphon fulvescens ($10\~40\;{\mu}g/ml$ decreased tyrosinase protein levels. Cell proliferation was dose-dependently inhibited by 10, 20 and 40 ${\mu}g/ml$ Cap­sosiphon fulvescens, without cytotoxicity and morphological change. These results suggest that the depigmenting effect of Capsosiphon fulvescens is correlated with the suppression of tyrosinase activity and protein level, which are key enzymes for melanogenesis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.938-944
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• 2005

Down-regulation of melanin synthesis is required for recovery of pigmentary disorders and it is known that direct inhibitors of tyrosinase suppress melanin synthesis. We screened several oriental medicinal plants using B16/Fl0 cells and found that the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma down-regulated melanin synthesis effectively. Although the proliferation of Bl6/Fl0 cells was decresed by the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma, it did not appear necrosis. Bl6/F10 cells incubated with the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma showed reduced pigmentation and tyrosinase activity. Western blotting revealed that the amount of tyrosinase was decreased by the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma. These results suggest that the inhibitary effect of the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma on melanogenesis is due to the suppression of tyrosinase in Bl6/F10 cells and Cnidii Rhizoma is a candidate for an efficient whitening agent.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.236-241
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of ethanol extract of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. (EAP)-reduced melanogenesis and diphenyl-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb., a perennial herbaceous plant, has been used as an antihemorrhagic, anthelminntic, and antiinflammatory agents in Chinese herbal medicine. In the present study, we observed that melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity of B16F10 cells were significantly decreased by EAP. However, EAP could not suppress tyrosinase activity in the cell-free system, whereas kojic acid directly inhibited tyrosinase activity. Furthermore, EAP decreased the protein expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related prootein 1 (TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related prootein 2 (TRP-2). EAP scavenged DPPH radical up to 41% with 100 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$ concentration. These results suggest that the hypopigmentary effect of EPA was due to regulation of tyrosinase protein.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2022.09a
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• pp.104-104
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• 2022

Dendropanax morbiferus H. Lev has been reported to have some pharmacologic activities and also interested in functional cosmetics. We found that the water extract of D. morbiferus leaves significantly inhibited tyrosinase activity and melanin formation in α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-induced B16-F10 cells. D. morbiferus reduced melanogenesis-related protein levels, such as microphthalmia? associated transcription factor (MITF), TRP-1, and TRP-2, without any cytotoxicity. Two active ingredients of D. morbiferus, (10E)-9,16-dihydroxyoctadeca-10,17-dien-12,14-diynoate (DMW-1) and (10E)-(?)-10,17-octadecadiene-12,14-diyne-1,9,16-triol (DMW-2) were identified by testing the anti-melanogenic effects and then by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis. DMW-1 and DMW-2 significantly inhibited melanogenesis by the suppression of protein kinase A (PKA)/cyclic AMP (cAMP)-responsive binding protein (CREB) and p38 MAPK phosphorylation. DMW-1 showed a better inhibitory effect than DMW-2 in α-MSH-induced B16-F10 cells. D. morbiferus and its active component DMW-1 inhibited melanogenesis through the downregulation of cAMP, p-PKA/CREB, p-p38, MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, and tyrosinase. These results indicate that D. morbiferus and DMW-1 may be useful ingredients for cosmetics and therapeutic agents for skin hyperpigmentation disorders.