Premium
Lucidone, a novel melanin inhibitor from the fruit of Lindera erythrocarpa Makino
Author(s) -
Kumar K. J. Senthil,
Yang JengChuann,
Chu FengHua,
Chang ShangTzen,
Wang ShengYang
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.3018
Subject(s) - microphthalmia associated transcription factor , tyrosinase , melanin , mapk/erk pathway , western blot , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , signal transduction , biology , enzyme , gene
The effects of lucidone on tyrosinase and antimelanogenic activity were investigated. Initially, we found that lucidone strongly inhibits the activity of mushroom tyrosinase. The effects of lucidone on tyrosinase were further examined in α‐MSH‐induced B16 melanoma cells. Lucidone significantly inhibits tyrosinase activity and leads to decreased melanin content in cultured B16 melanoma cells. Lucidone also attenuates the expression of tyrosinase and MITF (Microphthalmia‐associated Transcription Factor) protein in a concentration‐dependent manner, as shown by western blot. Quantitative real‐time reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) confirmed that lucidone inhibits the expression of tyrosinase mRNA. Accordingly, the effects of lucidone on the ERK signaling pathway were also investigated, but lucidone was not found to play major role in the induction of ERK activation. Our data indicate that the antimelanogenic activity of lucidone is probably due to its inhibition of tyrosinase activity and the suppression of tyrosinase and MITF expression. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.