• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 2012

Ramalin (${\gamma}$-glutamyl-N'-(2-hydroxyphenyl)hydrazide) isolated from the Antarctic lichen Ramalina terebrata has been shown to have strong antioxidant activities in the previous study. To investigate additional activities of ramalin, we studied the effects of ramalin on melanogenesis in melan-a cells, a non-tumorigenic melanocyte cell line. At a non-cytotoxic concentration, ramalin dramatically decreased melanin synthesis in melan-a cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was more potent than arbutin, a well-known tyrosinase inhibitor. Ramalin inhibited cell-free tyrosinase activity directly and intracellular tyrosinase activity as well. Its inhibitory mechanisms on melanin production were further assessed, and we found that ramalin significantly decreased the protein levels of melanogenic enzymes such as tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2). However, the mRNA levels of these enzymes were not altered. In a clinical study, application of 0.2 % ramalin on human skin significantly improved the degree of skin brightness after 3 weeks. In conclusion, ramalin has strong anti-melanogenic activity that is exerted both by the direct inhibition of tyrosinase activity and by down-regulation of melanogenic proteins. Furthermore, ramalin showed skin brightening effect in a clinical study. Collectively, these results suggest that ramalin may be a useful inhibitor for melanogenesis in skin.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.509-511
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• 2019

Hydrazine derivatives used in fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics can be synthesized by reduction reaction from diazonium derivatives. The reduction method using $SnCl_2$ facilitates the reaction conversion, but the use of $SnCl_2$ is limited when residual heavy metals are issued in the final product. For the conversion of protected (2-hydroxyphenyl)diazonium derivatives into its hydrazine derivatives in Ramalin preparation process, the reduction method was developed by using $NaHSO_3$. In this study, the effect of steric hindrance according to the protected 2-hydroxygroupinphenyldiazonium derivatives was found, and linear C1~C5 alkyl groups for the hydroxy protection were preferable during the diazonium reduction reaction. Considering the economical efficiency and industrial production for the preparation of Ramalin, a variety of protecting groups were investigated. As a result, 2-(allyloxyphenyl)hydrazine was obtained with 85% yield and 99.7% purity when the hydroxy protecting group was used as an allyl group that could be easily deprotected.