Elucidation of Melanogenesis-Associated Signaling Pathways Regulated by Argan Press Cake in B16 Melanoma Cells

Tokishakuyakusan alleviates ultraviolet-induced skin pigmentation by decreasing the expression of melanogenesis-related enzymes

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tokishakuyakusan (TSS), a traditional Kampo medicine, can effectively alleviate symptoms unique to women, such as menstrual pain and menopausal symptoms, and this effect is believed to be related to its ability to increase the secretion of female hormones. TSS is also believed to be effective against skin pigmentation. However, no studies have examined the effect of TSS on pigmentation.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, we conducted basic research to determine the effects of TSS on pigmentation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Female HRM-2 mice were given free access to a normal diet or a TSS-containing diet for 7 weeks. For 3 weeks starting from the 4th week of treatment, the back of the skin was irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light, and the melanin level was measured. The expression levels of melanogenesis-related genes and inflammatory markers in the skin were analyzed.

RESULTS

The melanin level in the skin of the mice exposed to UV radiation was approximately three times greater than that in the skin of the mice in the non-UV-irradiated group, confirming pigmentation due to UV irradiation. The protein expression levels of tyrosinase (Tyr), tyrosinase-related protein-1 (Tyrp1), and dopachrome tautomerase (Dct), which are important for melanin production, were significantly greater in the UV irradiation group than in the non-UV irradiation group. In contrast, the amount of skin melanin in the mice treated with TSS was significantly lower than that in the UV-irradiated group, and the expression levels of melanogenesis-related enzymes were also lower. Furthermore, TSS significantly decreased the expression of microphthalmia transcription factor (Mitf), a transcription factor for melanogenesis-related enzymes, and the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-6.

CONCLUSIONS

TSS inhibits melanin production in melanocytes by suppressing the increase in the expression of melanogenesis-related enzymes caused by UV irradiation. These findings suggested that this effect of TSS is exerted through the combined regulation of MITF expression and anti-inflammatory responses.

Differential expression and alternative splicing analyses of multiple tissues reveal albinism-associated genes in the Wels catfish (Silurus glanis)

Albinism is a widespread departure from a typical body colouration due to altered melanin production. The Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) is among the largest freshwater fish species in the world, and albino individuals occur both in the wild and in aquaculture. Here, we performed transcriptome-wide analysis of albino and normally pigmented S. glanis using four tissues (skin, dorsal fin, whole eye and liver) to identify genes associated with albinism by exploring patterns of differential expression (DE) and differential alternative splicing (DAS). Multi-tissue analyses revealed a large number of genes in skin (n = 1355) and fin (n = 614) tissue associated with the albino phenotype in S. glanis, while the number of DE genes in eye and liver tissues was lower (n = 188, n = 189, respectively). Several DE genes across multiple tissues were detected as the most promising candidates (e.g., hsp4, hsp90b1, raph1, uqcrfs1, adcy-family and wnt-family) potentially causally linked to the albino phenotype in Wels catfish. Moreover, our findings supported earlier observations of physiological differences between albino and normally pigmented individuals, particularly in energy metabolism and immune response. In contrast, there were only a few pigmentation-related genes observed among DAS genes (4 in skin, 2 in fin), the overlap between DAS and DE genes was low (n = 25) and did not include known pigmentation-related genes. This suggests that DAS and DE in Wels catfish are, to a large extent, independent processes, and the observed alternative splicing cases are probably not causally linked with albinism in S. glanis. This work provides the first transcriptome-wide multi-tissue insights into the albinism of Wels catfish and serves as a valuable resource for further understanding the genetic mechanisms of pigmentation in fish.

Structural Optimization of Cannabidiol as Multifunctional Cosmetic Raw Materials

Cannabidiol (CBD), derived from the plant cannabis, can be used in the cosmetics industry for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-wrinkle and whitening effects. However, CBD is purified from the hemp plant extract, its source is very limited and under strict control. So in this study, computational and experimental methods were combined to search for novel CBD substitutes with high biology potencies. The action mode between CBD and target protein cannabidiol receptor 1 was studied to find the key skeleton, which was used to virtually screen a natural products database to search for compounds with 70% similarity. The hit compounds with high docking scores were selected for the ABTS and DPPH free radical scavenging experiments for antioxidant evaluation. The effects on the expressions of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), COX-2 and iNOS in RAW264.7 cell line were detected to demonstrate their anti-inflammatory abilities. The effect of anti-wrinkle ability were evaluated by detecting the extracellular matrix, such as collagen, elastin, fibronectin and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HFF-1. The effects on melanin production and tyrosinase activity in Bb16F10 were also detected. As a result, two compounds were found to be superior to cannabidiol, in terms of antioxidant, anti-wrinkle and whitening efficacy with a lower cytotoxicity.

Epidermis-on-a-chip system to develop skin barrier and melanin mimicking model

In vitro skin models are rapidly developing and have been widely used in various fields as an alternative to traditional animal experiments. However, most traditional static skin models are constructed on Transwell plates without a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) culture microenvironment. Compared with native human and animal skin, such in vitro skin models are not completely biomimetic, especially regarding their thickness and permeability. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an automated biomimetic human microphysiological system (MPS), which can be used to construct in vitro skin models and improve bionic performance. In this work, we describe the development of a triple-well microfluidic-based epidermis-on-a-chip (EoC) system, possessing epidermis barrier and melanin-mimicking functions, as well as being semi-solid specimen friendly. The special design of our EoC system allows pasty and semi-solid substances to be effectively utilized in testing, as well as allowing for long-term culturing and imaging. The epidermis in this EoC system is well-differentiated, including basal, spinous, granular, and cornified layers with appropriate epidermis marker (e.g. keratin-10, keratin-14, involucrin, loricrin, and filaggrin) expression levels in corresponding layers. We further demonstrate that this organotypic chip can prevent permeation of over 99.83% of cascade blue (a 607 Da fluorescent molecule), and prednisone acetate (PA) was applied to test percutaneous penetration in the EoC. Finally, we tested the whitening effect of a cosmetic on the proposed EoC, thus demonstrating its efficacy. In summary, we developed a biomimetic EoC system for epidermis recreation, which could potentially serve as a useful tool for skin irritation, permeability, cosmetic evaluation, and drug safety tests.

Advances in Biomedical Functions of Natural Whitening Substances in the Treatment of Skin Pigmentation Diseases

Pigmentation diseases can lead to significant color differences between the affected part and the normal part, resulting in severe psychological and emotional distress among patients. The treatment of pigmentation diseases with good patient compliance is mainly in the form of topical drugs. However, conventional hydroquinone therapy contributes to several pathological conditions, such as erythema, dryness, and skin desquamation, and requires a longer treatment time to show significant results. To address these shortcomings, natural whitening substances represented by kojic acid and arbutin have gradually become the candidate ingredients of traditional local preparations due to their excellent biological safety. This review focuses on several natural whitening substances with potential therapeutic effects in pigmentation disease and their mechanisms, and a thorough discussion has been conducted into the solution methods for the challenges involved in the practical application of natural whitening substances.

Argan (Argania spinosa L.) Seed Oil Cake as a Potential Source of Protein-Based Film Matrix for Pharmaco-Cosmetic Applications

Various different agri-food biomasses might be turned into renewable sources for producing biodegradable and edible plastics, potentially attractive for food, agricultural and cosmeceutical sectors. In this regard, different seeds utilized for edible and non-edible oil extraction give rise to high amounts of organic by-products, known as seed oil cakes (SOCs), potentially able to become protein-rich resources useful for the manufacturing of biodegradable films. This study reports the potential of SOC derived from Argania spinosa (argan), a well-known plant containing valuable non-refined oil suitable for food or cosmetic use, to be a promising valuable source for production of a protein-based matrix of biomaterials to be used in the pharmaco-cosmetic sector. Thus, glycerol-plasticized films were prepared by casting and drying using different amounts of argan seed protein concentrate, in the presence of increasing glycerol concentrations, and characterized for their morphological, mechanical, barrier, and hydrophilicity properties. In addition, their antioxidant activity and effects on cell viability and wound healing were investigated. The hydrophobic nature of the argan protein-based films, and their satisfying physicochemical and biological properties, suggest a biorefinery approach for the recycling of argan SOC as valuable raw material for manufacturing new products to be used in the cosmeceutical and food industries.

Chrysoeriol Enhances Melanogenesis in B16F10 Cells Through the Modulation of the MAPK, AKT, PKA, and Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathways

Chrysoeriol is a 3′-O-methoxy flavone, chemically a derivative of luteolin, which is commonly found across the plant kingdom. Chrysoeriol is of great scientific interest because of its promising anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antioxidative, anti-lipase, anti-xanthin oxidase, and antimicrobial activities against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens; however, its effects on melanogenesis have not yet been elucidated. Here, we report a novel effect of chrysoeriol on melanogenesis in B16F10 cells. Chrysoeriol treatment significantly increased the expression of the melanogenic enzymes tyrosinase (TRY), tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2 and upregulated the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, chrysoeriol suppressed the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase B (AKT) in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, chrysoeriol treatment increased the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, β-catenin, and protein kinase A (PKA) and decreased the production of β-catenin, which is involved in the transcriptional activation of MITF in melanogenesis. Finally, the structure–activity relationship (SAR) of chrysoeriol and its derivatives, including luteolin and apigenin, with regard to their melanin inhibitory activity was also investigated; we identified the significance of the 4′-OH group and C-3′ methoxylation in melanogenesis. Together, these findings indicate that chrysoeriol promotes melanogenesis in B16F10 cells by upregulating the expression of melanogenic enzymes through the MAPK, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, PKA, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways; thus, chrysoeriol may be used as a cosmetic ingredient to promote melanogenesis or as a therapeutic agent against hypopigmentation disorders.