Antioxidant and Whitening Effects of natural plant water extracts

In current the development of functional whitening cosmetics without side effects is going on, and the one using natural materials has been especially focused. Therefore, we intend to verify the effect of whitening using these natural plant water extract (SLP: Punica granatum cortex , PNM: Tilia amurensis cortex ). we found out antioxdant, the acticity of mushroom tyrosinase and melanin synthesis have been studied in a cell‐free system and mouse melanoma cell. And cellular tyrosinase activity measured in mouse melanoma B16 cell by RT‐PCR. Inhibitory effects of natural plant water extract onto free radical generation was determined by measuring DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities. Our results indicated those natural plant water extracts effectively inhibited free radical generation. In DPPH radical scavenging activity, Sorbus cortex water extracts had a potent anti‐oxidant activity in a dose‐dependent manner. They significantly inhibited tyrosinase activity in vitro and in B16BL6 melanoma cells. Also, natural plant water extracts suppressed the expression of tyrosinase, TRP‐1 and TRP‐2 in B16BL6 melanoma cells. These results show that natural plant water extracts inhibited melanin production on the melanogenesis. The underlying mechanism of natural plant water extracts on whitening activity may be due to the inhibition of tyrosinase activity and tyrosinase, TRP‐1, TRP‐2 expression. We suggest those natural plant water extracts may be useful as new natural active ingredients for antioxidant and whitening cosmetics. ( Thanks to financially support the Nutraceutical Bio Brain Korea 21 Project Group and Well‐being Bioproducts RIC Center.)