Flavonoid from Intsia palembanica as Skin Whitening Agent

Intsia bijuga Heartwood Extract and Its Phytosome as Tyrosinase Inhibitor, Antioxidant, and Sun Protector

Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) wood (Indonesian: Merbau) is commercial wood with high economic value and is most commonly found in Indonesia. Intsia wood extractives have biological activities related to their potential as natural active ingredients for antiaging cosmetics This study aimed to select the best extraction solvent and phytosome formulation of I. bijuga heartwood extract as an active ingredient for topical antiaging cosmetics. There were five and three variations on extraction solvent and phytosome formulation, respectively. Three main antiaging activity parameters, namely antioxidant, antityrosinase, and sun protection factor (SPF) values, were considered in selecting the best extract and phytosome formula. The results showed that 50% ethanol possessed good antioxidant and antityrosinase activity, but was lower in SPF value, which was significantly different than in other extracts. The phytochemical profile revealed robidanol and robinetin as the main constituent in five I. bijuga extracts. Phytosome F3 possessed high antioxidant, antityrosinase, and SPF values compared to other 50% ethanol phytosome extracts. It could be concluded that I. bijuga ethanol extracts and its phytosome are potent enough to be developed as an antiaging active ingredient in topical use cosmetics.

Extracellular melanogenesis inhibitory activity and the structure-activity relationships of ugonins from Helminthostachys zeylanica roots

Ugonin J, K, and L, which are luteolin derivatives, were isolated from Helminthostachys zeylanica roots by a series of chromatographic separations of a 50% ethanol/water extract. They were identified using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ultraviolet (UV) spectra, and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-TOF-MS). In this study, the intra and extracellular melanogenic activity of the ugonins were determined using B16 melanoma cells. The results showed that ugonin J at 12.5, 25, and 50μM reduced extracellular melanin contents to 75, 16, and 14%, respectively, compared to the control. This indicates that ugonin J showed a stronger activity than arbutin, used as the positive control. Moreover, ugonin K showed a more potent inhibition with 19, 8, and 9% extracellular melanin reduction at the same concentrations, than that shown by ugonin J. In contrast, ugonin L did not inhibit intra- or extracellular melanogenic activity. Furthermore, in order to investigate the structure-activity relationships of the ugonins, the intra- and extracellular melanogenic activity of luteolin, methylluteolin, quercetin, eriodictyol, apigenin, and chrysin were determined. Consequently, it was suggested that the catechol and flavone skeleton of ugonin K is essential for the extracellular melanogenic inhibitory activity, and the low polarity substituent groups on the A ring of ugonin K may increase the activity.