• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2019

Isomaltol glycoside is a hydrophilic furanic glycoside in which the amino acids and sugars of ginseng are thermally denatured during red ginseng production. Various skin whitening tests were conducted on isomaltol glycoside containing a lot of red ginseng extract in order to investigate the skin whitening effect as a cosmetic raw material. We have tested melanin content assay in B16-F10 cells, zebrafish embryo pigmentation assay, mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity, western blot analysis to determine skin whitening activity of isomaltol glycosides. In the zebrafish melanin content assay, isomaltol glycoside decreased total melanin content by about 20% and zebrafish tyrosinase activity by about 10% after treatment with 50 and $100{\mu}g/mL$ compared to the untreated control group. Isomaltol glycoside also showed a concentration-dependent decrease in melanin content in B16-F10 melanoma. Furthermore, it increased the expression of MITF phosphorylation factors p-AKT and p-ERK in B16-F10 melanoma and decreased the concentration of MITF. It also inhibited tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2 expression. The content of isomaltol glycoside was about 3% in the ginseng extract and about 1% in the ginseng root. Thus, isomaltol glycoside is considered as one of the main components that exhibit the whitening activity of ginseng when considered quantitatively as whitening activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.225-232
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• 2017

This study aimed to evaluate several biological activities of Pharbitis nil and to isolate an anticancer agent from its methanol extract. Pharbitis nil seeds were extracted with methanol (PNM). Then, PNM was fractionated into solvent layers such as ethyl acetate fraction (PNE), butanol fraction (PNB), and water fraction (PNW). The biological activities of the fractions were analyzed for tyrosinase inhibition, lipase inhibition, DPPH-free radical scavenging, and cell growth inhibition. PNM showed strong growth inhibition of prostate cancer PC-3 cells. PNM was subjected to Diaion HP-20 and eluted stepwise with 50%, 80%, and 100% methanol. Then, for activity-guided fraction, each fraction was analyzed for growth inhibition of prostate cancer PC-3 cells by using an MTT assay. Because the 100% fraction showed significantly strong inhibitory activity, the fraction was further separated in the reverse phase C18, which was eluted with 80% and 90% methanol. The 90% fraction was further subjected to Sephadex LH-20 using a mobile solvent of 100% methanol. Finally, the compound PN was partially purified for HPLC analysis. PN showed cell growth inhibitory activity and induced the apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of prostate cancer PC-3 cells, as measured by flow cytometry. The results together suggest that Pharbitis nil possesses various biological activities, especially the inhibitory activity for the proliferation of prostate cancer PC-3 cells, suggesting the possibility of its use as an anticancer agent.

• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2012

Nuruk contributes to the unique characteristics of Korean alcoholic beverages. In this study, the effects of nuruk extracts (NE) on anti-oxidant characters, melanogenesis, and anti-photoaging activity were investigated. NEs were obtained from the 70% ethanol extracts of six types of nuruk, which have been used in brewing of fermented alcohol beverages in Korea. First, various antioxidant characteristics were identified in terms of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiozoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression, and inhibition of xanthine oxidase activity. NE#4 exhibited potent ABTS radical scavenging activity ($IC_{50}$ = 19.51 ${\mu}g$/mL). Compared with NE#4, relatively lower levels of activity were observed for NE#3 and NE#6, with $IC_{50}$ values of 90.99 and 76.88 ${\mu}g$/mL, respectively. According to results of western blot analysis for determination of SOD expression in $H_2O_2$-treated HepG2 cells, NE#5 and NE#6 induced a dramatic increase in the expression ratio of SOD, compared to the group treated with $H_2O_2$ only. Activity of xanthine oxidase, which converts xanthine into uric acid, generating superoxide ions, was inhibited by NE#4 and NE#6 in a dose-dependent manner. NE#4 induced significant inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase activity. A reduction in cellular melanin contents of 80% was observed in B16F1 melanocytes treated with NE#5 and NE#6; these effects were similar to those of arbutin at 100 ${\mu}M$. In addition, gelatin zymography and reverse transcription-PCR analysis were performed for assessment of anti-photoaging activity of Nuruk. Treatment with NE#6 resulted in dramatically inhibited activities of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/-9, suppressed expression of MMP-1, and increased expression of type-1 procollagen. Results of gelatin zymography for NE#4 and NE#5 were similar, to a slightly lesser degree. These results suggest the potential of NE#4 and NE#6 as natural ingredients for use in functional foods and cosmetics.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.31 no.4 s.54
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• pp.349-357
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• 2005

New antioxidative substances for cosmeceuticals were screened from natural resources such as microbial metabolites, mushrooms, and medicinal plants. Four antioxidants were isolated from the fungal metabolite of Eupenicillium shearii and their structures were determined to be new phenolic compounds. The compounds were designated as melanocins A, B, C, and D. Melanocins $A{\sim}D$ exhibited free radical scavenging activity on DPPH and superoxide with $EC_{50}$ values of $21{\sim}94\;and\;7{\sim}84{\mu}M$, respectively, which were stronger activity than those of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ and BHA. Melanocin A showed anti-wrinkle effects on the UV-irrated hairless mouse skin. A novel hispidin antioxidative compound designated as inoscavin A was isolated from the fruiting body of the mushroom, Inonotus xeranticus. Inoscavin A scavenged superoxide radical with $EC_{50}$ values of $0.03{\mu}g/mL$, and inhibited rat liver microsomal lipid peroxidation with $EC_{50}$ values of $0.3{\mu}g/mL$. Benzastatins $A{\sim}G$, the novel antioxidants isolated from the culture of Streptomyces nitrosporeus showed potent lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity with $EC_{50}$ values of $3{\sim}30{\mu}M$. A cyclopentene compound with strong hypopigmentary effect was isolated from the fungal metabolite of Penicillium sp. and identifed as terrein. Terrein significantly reduced melanin levels in a melanomacyte cell line, Mel-Ab. It showed 10 times stronger activity than kojic acid, but exhibited no cytotoxic effect even in $100{\mu}M$. It was suggested that terrein reduced melanin synthesis by reducing tyrosinase production by MITF down-regulation.