• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2024

In this study, the various whitening activities of Inonotus obliquus were assessed for potential use as functional cosmetic materials. When measuring electron donating ability to confirm the antioxidant ability of I. obliquus extract, increased activity was observed as the concentration increased, and it was found an outstanding antioxidant capacity of 82.1% at a 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration. Also, the tyrosinase inhibitory effect, related to a whitening effect, was found to have inhibitory activity that increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The results of verifying the viability of melanoma cells (B16F10) using an MTT assay showed cell viability of more than 80% at concentrations below 100 ㎍/ml. Therefore, cell-related experiments were conducted at 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml concentrations. By measuring protein expression related to melanin synthesis via treating B16F10 cells with I. obliquus extract, it was confirmed that protein expression was inhibited in all factors, depending on the concentration. TRP-1 and MITF appeared by 40.1% and 64.2% amount of expression, respectively, at 100 ㎍/ml concentrations, and tyrosinase and TRP-2 were verified as having better protein expression inhibition than arbutin. In measuring mRNA expression related to melanin synthesis by treating B16F10 cells with I. obliquus extract, it was confirmed that mRNA expression was suppressed as the concentration increased. Accordingly, it was confirmed that I. obliquus extract has excellent whitening activity and could be used as a cosmetic material.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.73-80
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• 2012

Objectives : Under normal condition melanin protects the skin from extracellular stimuli including ultraviolet (UV)-induced oxidative skin damages, but excess production and accumulation of melanin can induce hyperpigmentation causing esthetic problems. Therefore, in this study we tried to search for natural skin whitening materials from marine natural resources. Methods : Water and ethanol extracts of marine natural resources were prepared from Porphyra thalli (PT), Laminariae thallus (LT), Ostreae concha (OC), Sargassum thallus (ST), Undaria thallus (UT), Codium thalli (CT), Enteromorpha thalli (ET), Syngnathoides biaculeatus (SB), and Hippocampus coronatus (Hc). Their effects against UVB and ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH)-induced melanogenesis were investigated based on melanin formation in B16 mouse melanoma cells. The mRNA and protein expression of enzymes involved in the melanogenic process were further examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis, respectively. Results : Water extract of Ostreae concha (OCW/E) effectively inhibited UVB and ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanin production in B16 melanocytes, which seemed to be mediated by inhibition of mRNA expression of tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1). In another experiment, ethanol extracts from Porphyra thalli (PTE/E), Laminariae thallus (LTE/E), Sargassum thallus (STE/E), Undaria thallus (UTE/E), Codium thalli (CTE/E), Syngnathoides biaculeatus (SBE/E), and Hippocampus coronatus (HcE/E) significantly suppressed UVB and ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanin formation. Furthermore, ethylacetate fraction isolated form LTE/E (LTE/EEt) decreased UVB and ${\alpha}$-MSH-elevated extracellular melanin levels via inhibition of tyrosinase protein expression. Conclutions : These results suggest that marine natural resources such as Porphyra thalli, Laminariae thallus, Ostreae concha, Sargassum thallus, Undaria thallus, Codium thalli, Syngnathoides biaculeatus and Hippocampus coronatus have anti-melanogenic effects, thereby exhibiting high potentials to be utilized as one of the ingredients for the development of new whitening functional cosmetics.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2018

Ethyl linoleate is an unsaturated fatty acid used in many cosmetics for its various attributes, such as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and clinically proven to be an effective anti-acne agent. In this study, we investigated the effect of ethyl linoleate on the melanogenesis and the mechanism underlying its action on melanogenesis in B16F10 murine melanoma cells. Our results revealed that ethyl linoleate significantly inhibited melanin content and intracellular tyrosinase activity in ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced B16F10 cells, but it did not directly inhibit activity of mushroom tyrosinase. Ethyl linoleate inhibited the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, and tyrosinase related protein 1 (TRP1) in governing melanin pigment synthesis. We observed that ethyl linoleate inhibited phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase $3{\beta}$ ($GSK3{\beta}$) and reduced the level of ${\beta}-catenin$, suggesting that ethyl linoleate inhibits melanogenesis through $Akt/GSK3{\beta}/{\beta}-catenin$ signal pathway. Therefore, we propose that ethyl linoleate may be useful as a safe whitening agent in cosmetic and a potential therapeutic agent for reducing skin hyperpigmentation in clinics.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.67-74
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• 2020

The objective of this study is to investigate the skin whitening and antioxidant effects of the Anemarrhenae Rhizoma extract (ARE). Following the previously studied method, we examined the inhibitory effects of melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity by using B16F10 cells. First, we measured the Diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, nitrite scavenging activity, and superoxide dismutase-like activity to verifying antioxidant efficacy according to skin whitening. In addition, we confirmed the skin whitening efficacy of ARE by measuring gene expression associated with a skin whitening by the Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method in B16F10 cells. In this study, we confirmed that ARE has skin whitening and antioxidant effects at high concentrations. In particular, ARE at a concentration of 500 ㎍/ml inhibited the expression of Tyrosinase, TRP-2 (tyrosinase-related protein), and MITF (microphthalmia transcription factor) genes better than Arbutin. In conclusion, our results confirmed that ARE has the potential for development as a skin whitening efficacy substance.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.334-339
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• 2004

In this study, the effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and/or hinokitiol (${\beta}-thujaplicin$) on melanogenesis were investigated. Our results showed that both EGCG and hinokitiol significantly inhibited melanin synthesis in a concentration-dependent manner, and that their hypopigmenting effects were stronger than that of kojic acid, which is known to inhibit melanin formation in melanocytes and melanoma cells. Interestingly, EGCG did not show any additive hypopigmenting effect in combination with kojic acid, though EGCG did show a synergistic effect in combination with hinokitiol. Several reports indicate that the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) induces microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) degradation. Accordingly, the effects of EGCG and hinokitiol on the ERK signaling pathway were examined. EGCG and hinokitiol induced neither ERK activation nor MITF degradation. On the other hand, both EGCG and hinokitiol reduced the protein levels of MITF and of tyrosinase, the rate limiting melanogenic enzyme, whereas kojic acid had no effect. In addition, hinokitiol strongly downregulated the activity of tyrosinase, whereas EGCG or kojic acid had only a little effect. These results show that both EGCG and hinokitiol reduce MITF production, and suggest that reduced tyrosinase activity by hinokitiol explains their synergistic effect on melanogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1204-1211
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• 2019

Fungal exopolysaccharides are important natural products having diverse biological functions. In this study, exopolysaccharides from Fomitopsis castanea mycelia (FEPS) were prepared, and the highest mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity was found. FEPS were prepared from cultivation broth by ethanol precipitation method. The extraction yield and protein concentration of FEPS were 213.1 mg/l and 0.03%, respectively. FEPS inhibited mushroom tyrosinase with the half maximal inhibitory concentration ($IC_{50}$) of 16.5 mg/ml and dose-dependently inhibited cellular tyrosinase activity (63.9% at $50{\mu}g/ml$, and 83.3% at $100{\mu}g/ml$) in the cell-free extract of SK-MEL-5 human melanoma cell and ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (${\alpha}-MSH$)-stimulated melanin formation in intact SK-MEL-5 human melanoma cell. The $IC_{50}$ of FEPS against NO production from RAW264.7 macrophage cells was $42.8{\pm}0.64{\mu}g/ml$. By in vivo study using a zebrafish model, exposure of FEPS at $400{\mu}g/ml$ to dechorionated zebrafish embryos for 18 h decreased the pigment density, compared to that without FEPS-treated control.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.203-209
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• 2020

This study focused on the preparation and characterization of anti-wrinkle peptides from the salted and fermented shrimp (Acetes japonicus) inoculated with Salinivibrio cibaria BAO-01 (SFSC). The results showed the proximate composition of SFSC to be 9.23% water, 75.32% protein, 0.23% fat, and 13.3 mg/g ash. Interestingly, the S. cibaria fermentation significantly increased the amount of methionine, leucine, and arginine. The in vitro antioxidant activity was assayed by the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl method and its IC₅₀ value was found to be 43.02±2.84 ㎍/mL. It was observed to inhibit the activity of elastase, tyrosinase, collagenase, and hyaluronidase. The IC₅₀ values of SFSC were 182.75±12.38 ㎍/mL for anti-elastase activity, 186.78±7.95 ㎍/mL for anti-tyrosinase activity, 444.4±34.81 ㎍/mL for anti-collagenase activity, and 1447.95±28.92 ㎍/mL for anti-hyaluronidase activity. These results suggest that salted and fermented shrimp has strong potential for the development of nutricosmetic products.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1034-1040
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• 2010

Plants and their extracts can be utilized as inexpensive and rich resources of active constituents in the cosmetic field, as well as the food, pharmaceutical and medicinal fields. Until now, Aster glehni Fr. Schm. had no known active effect, except on anti-oxidation, that was found during investigations for application in the cosmetic field. In this study, we examined the inhibition of enzymatic reactions to protein levels in inclusive B16F10 melanoma cell lines. Significant inhibition of enzymatic reactions was observed in the EtOAc extract, which advanced to tyrosinase protein and TRP-1 in the B16F10 melanoma cell line. These results indicated that the effect of EtOAc extract inhibited expressions of tyrosinase protein and TRP-1 in the B16F10 melanoma cell line by 30.5% and 41.5% at 100ug/ml respectively. On the other hand, antimicrobial activity was evaluated to the four fractions in normal flora of the skin. Hexane extract was only exhibited in the higher clear zone in all strains. In conclusion, any cosmeceutical effects of Aster glehni Fr. Schm. may have a potential meaning, as well as possible value for further studies regarding the effects of chemical constituents of Aster glehni Fr. Schm.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.204-212
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• 2023

Whitening is inhibitory activity of the melanin synthesis of melanocytes. Recently, whitening materials have been developed on natural materials because of its side effects on skin. Figs (Ficus Carica L.) is a fruit belonging to the Moraceae family and whitening activity was reported in focusing on the fig's stem and leaf components, but whitening activity of the figs fruit was not known. Thus, in this study, we tried to observe its anti-melanogenesis as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammation. The radical scavenging activity of figs fruits extract (FFE) was observed as the level of 34.52±1.98%/60.71±1.26% compared to the control in the its maximum concentration in the DPPH/ABTS assay. Cytotoxicity of FFE was observed at 10% concentration by CCK8 assay, so the maximum concentration was set at 5% and applied to all experiments. FFE concentration dependently decreased NO production associated with inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α gene expression, these strongly suggesting anti-inflammatory activity. In melanin contents assay, FFE significantly down-regulated melanin production in α-MSH-stimulated B16F10 cell as well as tyrosinase inhibition in vitro. In addition, FFE decreased the Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) mRNA expression about 94.34% compared to the α-MSH treatment group in RT-PCR. Finally, FFE significantly reduced the MITF, cAMP response element-binding protein and tyrosinase protein expression in the α-MSH stimulated B16F10 cell. Through these results, we found that FFE can not only directly inhibit tyrosinase enzyme activity but also suppress melanogenesis through regulation of MITF gene expression in α-MSH signal transduction.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.908-916
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• 2018

Hair loses melanin with aging, which leads to hair graying. The change in hair color is caused by a reduction in tyrosinase activity and an accumulation of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) in hair follicles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of ethanolic extract of Oryza sativa (OREE) on melanin production and antioxidative activity in B16F1 cells. In this study, OREE showed low DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power. However, it displayed a strong antioxidative effect against intracellular $H_2O_2$ in live cells. OREE did not inhibit DOPA oxidation activity in vitro, but it increased tyrosinase activity at a concentration of $64{\mu}g/ml$. OREE at a concentration higher than $32{\mu}g/ml$ showed cell toxicity in B16F1 cells. However, OREE at a concentration higher than $8{\mu}g/ml$ not only increased melanin synthesis in a dose-dependent manner in B16F1 cells but also increased melanin synthesis in cells treated with $H_2O_2$ inhibiting melanin synthesis. To confirm the effect of OREE on melanin production, Western blot analysis was performed. The results revealed that OREE increased the expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase and tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2) involved in melanin production in the $H_2O_2$-treated cells in which melanin production was inhibited. The findings suggest that OREE could improve melanin synthesis and be available for development of hair cosmetics aimed at improving melanin production.