Acanthoic Acid Inhibits Melanogenesis through Tyrosinase Down-regulation and Melanogenic Gene Expression in B16 Melanoma Cells

作者：Yoon Weon Jong; Ham Young Min; Yoon Hun Seok; Lee Wook Jae; Lee Nam Ho^*; Hyun Chang Gu

来源：Natural Product Communications, 2013, 8(10): 1359-1362.

• Melanin
• Melanogenesis
• Skin whitening
• Acanthoic acid
• Acanthopanax koreanum

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro inhibitory effects of acanthoic acid (ACAN), isolated from Acanthopanax koreanum, on melanogenesis and its related enzymes such as tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2 in B16 melanoma cells. We found that ACAN significantly attenuates melanin synthesis and reduces the activity of intracellular tyrosinase, the rate-limiting melanogenic enzyme. Western blot analysis showed that ACAN also decreases tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2 protein expression. In addition, ACAN significantly decreased the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), a key regulator of melanogenesis. These results indicate that ACAN effectively inhibits melanin biosynthesis through down-regulation of MITF and thus could be useful as a new skin-whitening agent.

• 出版日期2013-10