Naturally occurring tyrosinase inhibitors: mechanism and applications in skin health, cosmetics and agriculture industries

The Potential of Plant Phenolics in Prevention and Therapy of Skin Disorders

Phenolic compounds constitute a group of secondary metabolites which have important functions in plants. Besides the beneficial effects on the plant host, phenolic metabolites (polyphenols) exhibit a series of biological properties that influence the human in a health-promoting manner. Evidence suggests that people can benefit from plant phenolics obtained either by the diet or through skin application, because they can alleviate symptoms and inhibit the development of various skin disorders. Due to their natural origin and low toxicity, phenolic compounds are a promising tool in eliminating the causes and effects of skin aging, skin diseases, and skin damage, including wounds and burns. Polyphenols also act protectively and help prevent or attenuate the progression of certain skin disorders, both embarrassing minor problems (e.g., wrinkles, acne) or serious, potentially life-threatening diseases such as cancer. This paper reviews the latest reports on the potential therapy of skin disorders through treatment with phenolic compounds, considering mostly a single specific compound or a combination of compounds in a plant extract.

Estimation of Inhibitory Effect against Tyrosinase Activity through Homology Modeling and Molecular Docking

Tyrosinase is a key enzyme in melanogenesis. Generally, mushroom tyrosinase from A. bisporus had been used as a model in skin-whitening agent tests employed in the cosmetic industry. The recently obtained crystal structure of bacterial tyrosinase from B. megaterium has high similarity (33.5%) to the human enzyme and thus it was used as a template for constructing of the human model. Binding of tyrosinase to a series of its inhibitors was simulated by automated docking calculations. Docking and MD simulation results suggested that N81, N260, H263, and M280 are involved in the binding of inhibitors to mushroom tyrosinase. E195 and H208 are important residues in bacterial tyrosinase, while E230, S245, N249, H252, V262, and S265 bind to inhibitors and are important in forming pi interaction in human tyrosinase.

Tyrosinase inhibitory constituents from a polyphenol enriched fraction of rose oil distillation wastewater

During the water steam distillation process of rose flowers, the non-volatile phenolic compounds remain in the waste. We recently developed a strategy to separate rose oil distillation water (RODW) into a polyphenol depleted water fraction and a polyphenol enriched fraction (RF20-SP207). Bioassay-guided investigation of RF20-SP207 led to the isolation of quercetin, kaempferol and ellagic acid. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis as well as by comparison with literature data. Tyrosinase inhibition studies were performed with RF20-SP207, fractions I-IV, and the isolated compounds of the most active fraction. RF20-SP207 strongly inhibited the enzyme with an IC50 of 0.41 μg/mL. From the tested fractions only fraction IV (IC50=5.81 μg/mL) exhibited strong anti-tyrosinase activities. Quercetin, kaempferol and ellagic acid were identified in fraction IV and inhibited mushroom tyrosinase with IC50 values of 4.2 μM, 5.5 μM and 5.2 μM, respectively, which is approximately 10 times more potent than that of the positive control kojic acid (56.1μM). The inhibition kinetics, analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots, indicated that RF20-SP207 and fraction IV are uncompetitive inhibitors of tyrosinase when l-tyrosine is used as a substrate. A mixed inhibition was determined for ellagic acid, and a competitive inhibition for quercetin and kaempferol. In conclusion, the recovered polyphenol fraction RF20-SP207 from RODW was found to be a potent tyrosinase inhibitor. This value-added product could be used as an active ingredient in cosmetic products related to hyperpigmentation.

Variation in Phenolics, Flavanoids, Antioxidant and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Activity of Peach Blossoms at Different Developmental Stages

Peach blossoms were harvested and classified into six developmental stages: (I) bud emerging stage; (II) middle bud stage; (III) large bud stage; (IV) initial-flowering stage; (V) full-flowering stage; and (VI) end-flowering stage. The contents of total phenolics, flavanoids, individual phenolic compounds as well as antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of peach blossoms at different developmental stages were investigated. The total phenolic contents varied from 149.80 to 74.80 mg chlorogenic acid equivalents/g dry weight (DW), and the total flavanoid contents ranged from 93.03 to 44.06 mg rutin equivalents/g DW. Both the contents of total phenolics and flavanoids decreased during blossom development. Chlorogenic acid was the predominant component, accounting for 62.08%-71.09% of the total amount of identified phenolic compounds in peach blossom. The antioxidant capacities determined by different assays and tyrosinase inhibitory activity also showed descending patterns during blossom development. Significant correlations were observed between antioxidant capacities with contents of total phenolics and total flavanoids as well as chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid and kaempferol-3-O-galactoside, while the tyrosinase inhibitory activity had lower correlations with total phenolics and total flavanoids as well as chlorogenic acid, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, kaempferol-3-O-galactoside and cinnamic acid. The antioxidant activities of peach blossom seemed to be more dependent on the phenolic compounds than tyrosinase inhibitory activity.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Resveratrol Derivatives as Melanogenesis Inhibitors

Resveratrol (1), a naturally occurring stilbene compound, has been suggested as a potential whitening agent with strong inhibitory activity on melanin synthesis. However, the use of resveratrol in cosmetics has been limited due to its chemical instability and poor bioavailability. Therefore, resveratrol derivatives were prepared to improve bioavailability and anti-melanogenesis activity. Nine resveratrol derivatives including five alkyl ether derivatives with C₂H₅, C₄H₉, C₅H₁₁, C₆H₁₃, and C₈H₁₇ (2a–2e) and four ester derivatives with CH₃, CH=C(CH₃)₂, CH(C₂H₅)C₄H₉, C₇H₁₅ (3a–3d) were newly synthesized and their effect on melanin synthesis were assessed. All the synthetic derivatives efficiently reduced the melanin content in α-MSH stimulated B16F10 melanoma cells. Further investigation showed that the inhibitory effect of 2a on melanin synthesis was achieved not by the inhibition of tyrosinase activity but by the inhibition of melanogenic enzyme expressions such as tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1. Our synthetic resveratrol derivatives have more lipophilic properties than resveratrol by the addition of alkyl or acyl chains to free hydroxyl moiety of resveratrol; thus, they are expected to show better bioavailability in skin application. Therefore, we suggest that our synthetic resveratrol derivatives might be promising candidates for better practical application to skin-whitening cosmetics.

GC-MS analysis and in vitro antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of essential oil from aerial parts of endemic Thymus spathulifolius Hausskn. et Velen

We investigated the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities and chemical composition of the hydro-distilled essential oil (0.35% yield) from aerial parts of Thymus spathulifolius. Antioxidant capacity of the oil was assessed by different methods including free radical scavenging (DPPH and ABTS), reducing power (FRAP and CUPRAC) and phosphomolybdenum assay. Inhibitory activities were analyzed against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase. Twenty-one constituents were identified representing 97.2% of the total oil with thymol (50.5%), borneol (16.7%) and carvacrol (7.7%) as the major components. The essential oil exhibited good antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 3.82 and 0.22 mg/mL determined by free radical scavenging DPPH and ABTS, respectively. EC50 values of FRAP and CUPRAC were found to be 0.12 and 0.34 mg/mL, respectively. The results of the present study support the uses of T. spathulifolius essential oil as a source of natural antioxidants and bioactivities for functional foods and phytomedicines.

Identification of tyrosinase specific inhibitors from Xanthium strumarium fruit extract using ultrafiltration-high performance liquid chromatography

In this study, a strategy based on ultrafiltration-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (UF-HPLC-DAD) was proposed for screening tyrosinase specific inhibitors in Xanthii fructus. The false negatives were distinguished by optimizing the UF-HPLC-DAD parameters to reduce the background noise; the false positives were distinguished by introducing a blocked tyrosinase in the control group for comparison. To obtain the best blocker, the competitive experiments were performed using various known ligands. Using this strategy, three competitive inhibitors (protocatechuic acid; 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid; and 1,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid) and one mixed-type inhibitor (chlorogenic acid) were identified. These results were verified using tyrosinase inhibition assay, kinetic analysis, and structural simulation of the complex. Our experimental results suggest that the proposed strategy could be useful for high-throughput identification of tyrosinase specific inhibitors in natural products.

Proton pump inhibitors decrease melanogenesis in melanocytes

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used as inhibitors of gastric juice secretion for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, there are no previous studies of the effects on melanogenesis resulting from PPI treatments. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of PPIs on melanogenesis in melan-a cells derived from immortalized mouse melanocytes. Tyrosinase activity and copper-chelating activity were measured spectrophotometrically. In addition, the melanin content and viability of melan-a cells treated with PPIs were assessed and the mRNA levels of melanogenesis-associated genes were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Treatment with rabeprazole, but not the other PPIs tested, resulted in strong, dose-dependent inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase (TYR). By contrast, each of the PPIs tested exhibited copper-chelating activity. Treatment of melan-a cells with 100 µM concentrations of the PPIs resulted in significantly reduced melanin synthesis and reduced expression of several melanogenesis-associated genes, including TYR, TYR-related protein-1 (TRP-1) and TRP-2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, but did not result in cytotoxic effects. These results suggest that PPIs inhibit melanin biosynthesis in melan-a cells via the downregulation of melanogenesis-associated genes. Furthermore, the findings indicate that PPIs in general could be utilized as skin-whitening agents and/or as biomaterial for treating hyperpigmentation disorders.

Characterization of Melanogenesis Inhibitory Constituents of Morus alba Leaves and Optimization of Extraction Conditions Using Response Surface Methodology

Melanin is a natural pigment that plays an important role in the protection of skin, however, hyperpigmentation cause by excessive levels of melatonin is associated with several problems. Therefore, melanogenesis inhibitory natural products have been developed by the cosmetic industry as skin medications. The leaves of Morus alba (Moraceae) have been reported to inhibit melanogenesis, therefore, characterization of the melanogenesis inhibitory constituents of M. alba leaves was attempted in this study. Twenty compounds including eight benzofurans, 10 flavonoids, one stilbenoid and one chalcone were isolated from M. alba leaves and these phenolic constituents were shown to significantly inhibit tyrosinase activity and melanin content in B6F10 melanoma cells. To maximize the melanogenesis inhibitory activity and active phenolic contents, optimized M. alba leave extraction conditions were predicted using response surface methodology as a methanol concentration of 85.2%; an extraction temperature of 53.2 °C and an extraction time of 2 h. The tyrosinase inhibition and total phenolic content under optimal conditions were found to be 74.8% inhibition and 24.8 μg GAE/mg extract, which were well-matched with the predicted values of 75.0% inhibition and 23.8 μg GAE/mg extract. These results shall provide useful information about melanogenesis inhibitory constituents and optimized extracts from M. alba leaves as cosmetic therapeutics to reduce skin hyperpigmentation.

Inhibitory Effects of (2'R)-2',3'-dihydro-2'-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-2,6'-bibenzofuran-6,4'-diol on Mushroom Tyrosinase and Melanogenesis in B16-F10 Melanoma Cells

(2'R)-2',3'-Dihydro-2'-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-2,6'-bibenzofuran-6,4'-diol (DHMB) is a natural compound extracted from Morus notabilis. It was found that DHMB acts as a competitive inhibitor against mushroom tyrosinase with a Ki value of 14.77 μM. Docking results further indicated that it could form strong interactions with one copper ion with a distance of 2.7 Å, suggesting the mechanism of inhibition might be due to chelating copper ions in the active site. Furthermore, melanin production in B16-F10 murine melanoma cells was significantly inhibited by DHMB in a concentration-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. The results of western blotting also showed that DHMB decreased 3-isobuty-1-methxlzanthine-induced mature tyrosinase expression. Taken together, these findings indicated that DHMB may be a new promising pigmentation-altering agent for agriculture, cosmetic, and therapeutic applications.

Isolation of flavonoids and triterpenoids from the fruits of Alphitonia neocaledonica and evaluation of their anti-oxidant, anti-tyrosinase and cytotoxic activities

INTRODUCTION

Alphitonia neocaledonica (Rhamnaceae) is an endemic tree of New Caledonia. Although three flavonoids have been identified in the leaves, the secondary metabolite profile of the fruits has never been investigated.

OBJECTIVE

Phytochemical investigation of A. neocaledonica fruits and evaluation of their anti-oxidant, anti-tyrosinase and cytotoxic activities.

METHODS

A hydromethanolic extract was fractionated by liquid-liquid extraction to obtain ethyl acetate and n-butanolic fractions. The ethyl-acetate-soluble part was purified by silica-gel column chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The n-butanol-soluble part was fractionated by centrifugal partition extraction (CPE) and the collected fractions were further purified by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) and HPLC. The chemical structures of the purified compounds were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

Three triterpenoids and one flavonoid were isolated from the ethyl-acetate-soluble part. Fractions enriched in triterpenoids, flavonoids and catechin derivatives were obtained from the n-butanol-soluble part. Gallocatechin and flavonoids were obtained as pure compounds by further CPC and HPLC purification. The n-butanolic-soluble part showed anti-oxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities due to the presence of tannins and gallocatechin. The triterpenoid alphitolic acid showed a moderate cytotoxic activity against KB cell line (median inhibition concentration = 8.5 μM).

CONCLUSIONS

Nine known compounds including three triterpenes, five flavonoids and (+) gallocatechin, as well as a new 3-O-(6-E-feruloyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-]α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-quercetin, were isolated from A. neocaledonia fruits. The hydromethanolic extract possesses a potential cytotoxic activity due to the presence of triterpenes, and it can also be valuable as a cosmetic ingredient for its anti-oxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities.

New tyrosinase inhibitors from Paecilomyces gunnii

Through screening 50 strains of entomopathogenic fungi and rescreening of 7 strains of Paecilomyces gunnii, a methanol extract of liquid-cultivated mycelia of P. gunnii was found to have the strongest tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) guided by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was employed for the isolation and purification of the active components, and three new compounds with half inhibition concentration (IC50) of 0.11, 0.17, and 0.14 mM against diphenolase were obtained from the extract, respectively. Their chemical structures were identified by HRMS, one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) spectroscopy as paecilomycones A, B, and C. Structure and activity studies showed that the tyrosinase inhibition activities are positively related to the number of hydroxyl groups on the paecilomycones.

Microbial ketonization of ginsenosides F1 and C-K by Lactobacillus brevis

Ginsenosides are the major pharmacological components in ginseng. We isolated lactic acid bacteria from Kimchi to identify microbial modifications of ginsenosides. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain DCY65-1 belongs to the genus Lactobacillus and is most closely related to Lactobacillus brevis. On the basis of TLC and HPLC analysis, we found two metabolic pathways: F1 → 6α,12β-dihydroxydammar-3-one-20(S)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and C-K → 12β-hydroxydammar-3-one-20(S)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside. These results suggest that strain DCY65-1 is capable of potent ketonic decarboxylation, ketonizing the hydroxyl group at C-3. The F1 metabolite had a more potent inhibitory effect on mushroom tyrosinase than did the substrate. Therefore, the F1 and C-K derivatives may be more pharmacologically active compounds, which should be further characterized.

Structure-activity relationships of the thujaplicins for inhibition of human tyrosinase

Tyrosinase inhibitors have become increasingly critical agents in cosmetic, agricultural, and medicinal products. Although a large number of tyrosinase inhibitors have been reported, almost all the inhibitors were unfortunately evaluated by using commercial available mushroom tyrosinase. Here, we examined the inhibitory effects of three isomers of thujaplicin (α, β, and γ) on human tyrosinase and analyzed their binding modes using homology model and docking studies. As the results, γ-thujaplicin was found to strongly inhibit human tyrosinase with the IC50 of 1.15 μM, extremely superior to a well-known tyrosinase inhibitor kojic acid (IC50 = 571.17 μM). MM-GB/SA binding free energy decomposition analyses suggested that the potent inhibitory activity of γ-thujaplicin may be due to the interactions with His367, Ile368, and Val377 (hot spot amino acid residues) in human tyrosinase. Furthermore, the binding mode of α-thujaplicin indicated that Val377 and Ser380 may cause van der Waals clashes with the isopropyl group of α-thujaplicin. These results provide a novel structural insight into the hot spot of human tyrosinase for the specific binding of γ-thujaplicin and a way to optimize not only thujaplicins but also other lead compounds as specific inhibitors for human tyrosinase in a rational manner.

Mushroom tyrosinase inhibition activity of Aloe vera L. gel from different germplasms

In this study, lyophilized and methanolic extracts of aloe gel from different germplasms were evaluated for their potential to inhibit mushroom tyrosinase activity. The results showed potent inhibitory effect of Aloe vera gel extracts on L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) oxidation catalyzed by tyrosinase in a dose-dependent manner. Significant differences in % inhibition of tyrosinase among the extraction methods and the germplasms were observed. The relative performance of the germplasms was evaluated with the help of posthoc multicomparison test. The methanolic extract was more effective than the lyophilized crude gel in all the germplasms. The inhibitory effect of the lyophilized gel and methanolic extract tested from five germplasms followed the order: RM > TN > S24 > OR > RJN. The germplasm RM showed the highest tyrosinase inhibition, and the maximum % inhibition noted was 26.04% and 41.18%, respectively for the lyophilized and methanolic extracts at 6 mg · mL(-1) concentration. Lineweaver-Burk plots of the different concentrations of L-DOPA in the absence and presence of lyophilized gel extract showed competitive inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase in all the germplasms. This study suggests that the germplasm RM could potentially be used for the isolation and identification of the effective tyrosinase inhibitory component, and ascertains the critical role of selecting the best source of germplasm for natural product isolation and characterization.

HPLC-fingerprints and antioxidant constituents of Phyla nodiflora

Phyla nodiflora is a creeping perennial herb, widely distributed in the most tropical and subtropical regions. It has been used as a folk medicine, herbal beverage, or folk cosmetic. For these usages, the development of a chemical quality control method of this plant is necessary. In the present study, ten compounds, namely, 3,7,4′,5′-tetrahydroxy-3′-methoxyflavone (1), nodifloretin (2), 4′-hydroxywogonin (3), onopordin (4), cirsiliol (5), 5,7,8,4′-tetrahydroxy-3′-methoxyflavone (6), eupafolin (7), hispidulin (8), larycitrin (9), and β-sitosterol were isolated from the methanolic extract of the aerial part of P. nodiflora (PNM) and their structures were identified by 1D-NMR comparing their spectra with the literature. The antioxidant activities of these compounds were evaluated by free radical scavenging activity and tyrosinase inhibitory effect in cell-free systems. Compounds 4, 5, and 7 showed strong antioxidant activity. To control the quality of P. nodiflora, a simple and reliable method of high-performance liquid chromatography combined with ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UV) was established for both the fingerprint analysis and the quantitative determination of two selected active compounds, onopordin (4) and eupafolin (7). Statistical analysis of the obtained data demonstrated that our method achieved the desired linearity, precision, and accuracy. The results indicated that the developed method can be used as a quality evaluation method for PNM.

Biological activity and molecular docking studies of curcumin-related α,β-unsaturated carbonyl-based synthetic compounds as anticancer agents and mushroom tyrosinase inhibitors

Hyperpigmentation in human skin and enzymatic browning in fruits, which are caused by tyrosinase enzyme, are not desirable. Investigations in the discovery of tyrosinase enzyme inhibitors and search for improved cytotoxic agents continue to be an important line in drug discovery and development. In present work, a new series of 30 compounds bearing α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety was designed and synthesized following curcumin as model. All compounds were evaluated for their effects on human cancer cell lines and mushroom tyrosinase enzyme. Moreover, the structure-activity relationships of these compounds are also explained. Molecular modeling studies of these new compounds were carried out to explore interactions with tyrosinase enzyme. Synthetic curcumin-like compounds (2a-b) were identified as potent anticancer agents with 81-82% cytotoxicity. Five of these newly synthesized compounds (1a, 8a-b, 10a-b) emerged to be the potent inhibitors of mushroom tyrosinase, providing further insight into designing compounds useful in fields of food, health, and agriculture.

A tyrosinase inhibitor from Aspergillus niger

Tyrosinase, in the presence of oxygen, is the main culprit in post harvest browning of food products, resulting in the drop in its commercial value. In an effort to seek natural tyrosinase inhibitors for food applications, a screening programme was undertaken. Of the 26 fungal cultures isolated from soil samples of Agumbe forest, India, one isolate S16, identified as Aspergillus niger, gave an inhibition of 84 % against the enzyme. The inhibitor was isolated by following an enzyme inhibition assay guided purification protocol. The structure of the inhibitor was elucidated and found to be kojic acid. The IC50 of the Competitive inhibitor was found to be 8.8 μg with a Ki of 0.085 mM.

Cinnamon: a multifaceted medicinal plant

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Cinnamon cassia), the eternal tree of tropical medicine, belongs to the Lauraceae family. Cinnamon is one of the most important spices used daily by people all over the world. Cinnamon primarily contains vital oils and other derivatives, such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate. In addition to being an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular-disease-lowering compound, cinnamon has also been reported to have activities against neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. This review illustrates the pharmacological prospective of cinnamon and its use in daily life.

Evaluation of the antioxidant and melanogenesis inhibitory properties of pracparatum mungo (lu-do huang)

Pracparatum mungo (Lu-Do Huang) is a traditional Chinese functional medicine made from the natural fermentation of mung bean (Lǜ Dòu) mixed with other Chinese medicines. It has been recognized as having liver protecting and detoxifying effects. As mung beans have been verified to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antipyretic, and whitening actions, the present research utilized the in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experimental models to investigate the antioxidant and melanin inhibiting effects of P. mungo on the skin. The in vitro experiment revealed that P. mungo methanol extract (PMME) and P. mungo ethanol extract (PMEE) possess the capacity to clear α,α-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and inhibit tyrosinase activity. The ex vivo experiment indicated that PMEE can promote the growth of MDCK cells and increase the enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in MDCK cells. On the other hand, PMME and PMEE can suppress the proliferation of A375 cells, and PMEE can reduce the enzymatic activities of SOD and catalase in A375 cells. The in vivo results showed that P. mungo can enhance the enzymatic performance of SOD, Catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the liver. The results also showed that P. mungo has antioxidant characteristics and can inhibit tyrosinase activity, thereby promoting the growth of skin tissues and suppressing the proliferation of A375 cells, and thus enhancing the effects that the antioxidant enzymatic performance has on the liver. These results can be applied in the development of tyrosinase inhibitors or antioxidants used for the inhibition of melanin biosynthesis or for auto-oxidation in further industrial applications, particularly those relating to functional food or cosmetic compositions.

Dimeric pyrrolidinoindoline-type alkaloids with melanogenesis inhibitory activity in flower buds of Chimonanthus praecox

A methanol extract of the flower buds of Chimonanthus praecox (L.) Link (Calycanthaceae) demonstrated inhibitory effects on melanogenesis in theophylline-stimulated murine B16 melanoma 4A5 cells. From the extract, five dimeric pyrrolidinoindoline alkaloids and four sesquiterpenes were isolated, together with 16 known compounds. Among them, (-)-chimonanthine (1, IC50 = 0.93 μM), (-)-folicanthine (2, 1.4 μM), and (-)-calycanthidine (3, 1.8 μM) showed potent inhibitory effects without notable cytotoxicity at the effective concentrations. The most potent alkaloid (1) inhibited both tyrosinase and tyrosine-related protein-1 mRNA expressions, to which the melanogenesis inhibitory activity would be ascribable.

Potato and mushroom polyphenol oxidase activities are differently modulated by natural plant extracts

Enzymatic browning is a major quality issue in fruit and vegetable processing and can be counteracted by different natural inhibitors. Often, model systems containing a single polyphenol oxidase (PPO) are used to screen for new inhibitors. To investigate the impact of the source of PPO on the outcome of such screening, this study compared the effect of 60 plant extracts on the activity of PPO from mushroom ( Agaricus bisporus , AbPPO) and PPO from potato ( Solanum tuberosum , StPPO). Some plant extracts had different effects on the two PPOs: an extract that inhibited one PPO could be an activator for the other. As an example of this, the mate ( Ilex paraguariensis ) extract was investigated in more detail. In the presence of mate extract, oxygen consumption by AbPPO was found to be reduced >5-fold compared to a control reaction, whereas that of StPPO was increased >9-fold. RP-UHPLC-MS analysis showed that the mate extract contained a mixture of phenolic compounds and saponins. Upon incubation of mate extract with StPPO, phenolic compounds disappeared completely and saponins remained. Flash chromatography was used to separate saponins and phenolic compounds. It was found that the phenolic fraction was mainly responsible for inhibition of AbPPO and activation of StPPO. Activation of StPPO was probably caused by activation of latent StPPO by chlorogenic acid quinones.

Catalyst-mediated yet catalyst-free hydrogels formed by interfacial chemical activation

Catalyst-mediated yet catalyst-free catechol-containing adhesive hydrogels.

Asymmetric Michael/hemiketalization of 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one to β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters catalyzed by a bifunctional rosin–indane amine thiourea catalyst

A highly efficient enantioselective Michael-hemiketalization cascade process is reported using a chiral bifunctional rosin–indane amine thiourea catalyst.

Antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities of flavonoids from Trifolium nigrescens Subsp. petrisavi

Trifolium nigrescens was researched for its chemical constituents for the first time. Bioassay-guided isolation of the EtOAc extract from the leaves of T. nigrescens resulted in the purification of a new biflavone, 4''',5,5″,7,7″-pentahydroxy-3',3'''-dimethoxy-3-O-β-d-glucosyl-3″,4'-O-biflavone (1) along with eleven known compounds consisting of three phenolics (2-4), and eight flavonoid glycosides (5-12). Their structures were determined by extensive 1D and 2D NMR, and MS data analyses. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant activity and inhibitory activity on mushroom tyrosinase. Highly potent inhibitions were found by compounds 7 (IC50 = 0.38 mM), 8 (IC50 = 0.19 mM), and 12 (IC50 = 0.26 mM) when compared with standard tyrosinase inhibitors kojic acid (IC50 = 0.67 mM) and l-mimosine (IC50 = 0.64 mM). The antioxidative effect of the isolated compounds and the extracts were determined by using β-carotene-linoleic acid, DPPH(•) scavenging, ABTS(+•) scavenging, superoxide scavenging, and CUPRAC assays. The experimental findings indicated that all the compounds demonstrated activity in all antioxidant activity tests employed except for the compounds 2-6. Compounds 2-6 showed moderate activity only in ABTS(+•) scavenging assay. The new compound 1 exhibited better activity than standard α-tocopherol in DPPH(•) scavenging, and ABTS(+•) scavenging assays. The results show that T. nigrescens can be regarded as a potential source of antioxidant compounds and tyrosinase inhibitors of significance in both the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Physiological effects of formulation containing tannase-converted green tea extract on skin care: physical stability, collagenase, elastase, and tyrosinase activities

Background

Green tea contains numerous polyphenols, which have health-promoting effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tannase-converted green tea extract (TGE) formulation on the physical stability and activities of skin-related enzymes.

Methods

Physical stability was evaluated by measuring the pH, precipitation, and colors at 25 ± 2 °C/ambient humidity and at 40 ± 2 °C/70% ± 5% relative humidity for 4 months. Activities of collagenase, elastase, and tyrosinase as skin-related enzymes were assessed on TGE formulation.

Results

The concentrations of epigallocatechin-3-gallate and epicatechin-3-gallate in green tea extract were greatly decreased to the extent of negligible level when treated with tannase. The formulation containing 5% tannase-converted green tea extract showed relatively stable pH, precipitation, and color features for 16 weeks. When TGE was added to the formulation, there was a significant increase in the inhibition of elastase and tyrosinase activities (p < 0.05) compared with the formulation containing 5% normal green tea extract.

Conclusion

The TGE could be used in cosmetics as skin antiwrinkling or depigmenting agent.

Phenolic compounds from Trifolium echinatum Bieb. and investigation of their tyrosinase inhibitory and antioxidant activities

Two bischromones, 3,3'-dimethoxy-2'-oxychromone (1), 3,3'-dihydroxy-2,2'-oxychromone (2) and a biflavone, 5,7,4',5″,3'",4″″-hexahydroxy-3″-O-β-glucosyl-3',7″-O-biflavone (3) have been isolated from whole plant of Trifolium echinatum Bieb. together with five known flavonoids. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analysis as well as HRESIMS. The isolated compounds were investigated for their antioxidant activity and tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Highly potent inhibition was found for compounds 1 (IC50=0.41 mM), 5 (IC50=0.47 mM) and 8 (IC50=0.45 mM) compared to those of standard tyrosinase inhibitors kojic acid (IC50=0.67 mM) and l-mimosine (IC50=0.64 mM). The antioxidative effect of the extracts was determined by using β-carotene-linoleic acid, DPPH scavenging, ABTS(+) scavenging, and CUPRAC assays. The experimental findings indicated that the compounds 2 and 8 were found to be active in radical scavenging and CUPRAC assays.

Design and synthesis of hydroxypyridinone-L-phenylalanine conjugates as potential tyrosinase inhibitors

A range of hydroxypyridinone-L-phenylalanine conjugates were synthesized starting from kojic acid. Their tyrosinase activity was determined, and it was found that one of the compounds ((S)-(5-(benzyloxy)-1-octyl-4-oxo-1,4-dihydropyridin-2-yl)methyl 2-amino-3-phenylpropanoate, 5e) showed potent inhibitory effect against mushroom tyrosinase, the IC50 values for monophenolase and diphenolase activities being 12.6 and 4.0 μM, respectively. It was also demonstrated that these conjugates are mixed-type inhibitors, suggesting they could bind to both the free enzyme and the enzyme-substrate complexes. MTT assay indicated that 5e was nontoxic to three cell lines. This compound may find applications in food preservation and cosmetics.

Effect of a Garcinia gardneriana (Planchon and Triana) Zappi hydroalcoholic extract on melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE

Garcinia gardneriana (Planchon and Triana) Zappi (Clusiaceae) is popularly called "bacopari" in southern Brazil. The leaves of this plant are traditionally used to treat skin disorders.

AIM OF STUDY

This study evaluated the effects of a hydroalcoholic extract of Garcinia gardneriana leaves (HEGG) on B16F10 murine melanoma cells in order to search for new depigmenting agents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The effects of HEGG were assessed in melanin content assays in B16F10 melanoma cells compared with the reference drug kojic acid (500mM). Melanin content was measured after spontaneous melanogenesis, UVB-induced melanogenesis and melanogenesis induced by α-MSH. At the same time, cell viability assays were conducted. Intracellular and mushroom tyrosinase activity assays were employed to evaluate the effect of HEGG on tyrosinase activity.

RESULTS

HEGG decreased the level of melanin under all three experimental conditions of melanin content evaluation without reducing cell viability. In intracellular tyrosinase assays, the enzyme's activity was reduced about 19% with extract concentrations ranging 0.1-10µg/mL. In the mushroom tyrosinase activity assay a maximal inhibition of 35% (1000µg/mL) was observed.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that HEGG inhibition relates to its tyrosinase activity. Therefore, the hydroalcoholic extract of Garcinia gardneriana shows great potential for use as a depigmenting agent in hyperpigmentation disorders.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of unsymmetrical curcumin analogues as tyrosinase inhibitors

Synthesis and biological evaluation of unsymmetrical curcumin analogues (UCAs) have been achieved. Tyrosinase inhibitory activities were found for most of the prepared synthetic UCAs. Among them, compounds containing 4-hydroxyl-substituted phenolic rings with C-2/C-4- or C-3/C-4-dihydroxyl-substituted diphenolic rings were more active (IC₅₀ = 1.74~16.74 μM) than 4-butylresorcinol and kojic acid, which suggested that the 4-hydroxyl groups in UCAs play a crucial role in tyrosinase inhibitory activities. The inhibition kinetics analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots revealed compounds 3c and 3i containing catecholic rings were mixed-competitive inhibitors, whereas compounds 3d and 3j containing resorcinolic rings were competitive inhibitors. The preliminary evaluation results of acute toxicity showed the representative 3d and 3j were non-toxic in mice dosed at 1,200 mg/kg. This research suggests that, with the advantage of being readily prepared small molecules, polyphenolic UCAs have the potential to develop into pharmacological inhibitors of tyrosinase.

On the interpretation of tyrosinase inhibition kinetics

Abstract Tyrosinases (monophenol monooxygenases, EC 1.14.18.1) utilize a reaction mechanism that involves two intertwined catalytic cycles and at least three different ligand-binding enzyme forms. Therefore a variety of different inhibition types may arise in inhibition experiments, depending on the binding mode of the compound studied. Here we discuss a steady-state equation that describes inhibition of the diphenolase cycle of tyrosinase catalysis in a general way. In addition, we employ numerical simulations to explore the kinetic outcome of various binding schemes. As the full equation is far too complex to be applicable for data evaluation by curve fitting, we propose to use the general modifier scheme of Botts-Morales for fitting and demonstrate that especially the value of parameter α of the equation allows conclusions about the binding mode of the inhibitor. The approach is exemplified by selected data describing the inhibition of human tyrosinase by typical inhibitors.