No abstract

Ellagitannins such as casuarictin (CAS), isolated from clove extracts, have been shown to have superior benefits such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, but there have been no reports on their capacity to inhibit melanogenesis.Inhibition of melanogenesis by novel natural products has gained attention for cosmetic applications such as skin lightening. Here, we report the effects of CAS on melanogenesis in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. Our results showed that CAS (30µM) significantly inhibited intracellular melanogenesis while being nontoxic to B16F10 cells or to HaCaT cells at that concentration.CAS (30μM) also inhibited intracellular tyrosinase activity as well as mushroom tyrosinase activity; possessed robust copper chelating ability comparable to that of 500µM kojic acid;and downregulated MITF protein levels, all of which contribute to the inhibitory mechanisms underlying its anti-melanogenic activity. In summary, our results demonstrate that CAS might hold promise as a depigmenting agent for hyperpigmentation disorders.

The advent of RNA interference (RNAi) technology has profoundly impacted molecular biology research and medicine but has also advanced the field of skin care. Both effector molecules of RNAi, short-interfering RNA molecules and microRNAs (miRNAs), have been explored for their relative impact and utility for treating a variety of skin conditions. These post-transcriptional RNA regulatory molecules down-modulate protein expression through targeting of the 3′ untranslated regions of messenger RNAs, leading to their degradation or repression through sequestration. As researchers hunt for genetic linkages to skin diseases, miRNA regulators have emerged as key players in the biology of keratinocytes, fibroblasts, melanocytes, and other cells of the skin. Herein, we attempt to coalesce the current efforts to combat various skin disorders and diseases through the development of miRNA-based technologies.

No abstract

Antibodies were raised in rabbits against purified endonuclease V, the product of the bacteriophage T4 denV gene, which incises DNA at the site of UV‐induced pyrimidine dimers. These antibodies cross‐reacted with the purified UV‐DNA endonuclease from M. luteus in both enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and Western assays. However, no sequence similarity was detected between the denV gene and M. luteus DNA by hybridization. The two endonucleaes are remarkably similar in enzymatic activity, and their antigenic similarities have been preserved despite differences in their DNA sequences.