No abstract

Hibiscus syriacus L. exhibited promising potential as a new source of food and colorants containing various anthocyanins. However, the function of anthocyanins from H. syriacus L. has not been investigated. In the current study, we evaluated whether anthocyanins from the H. syriacus L. varieties Pulsae and Paektanshim (PS and PTS) inhibit melanin biogenesis. B16F10 cells and zebrafish larvae were exposed to PS and PTS in the presence or absence of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), and melanin contents accompanied by its regulating genes and proteins were analyzed. PS and PTS moderately downregulated mushroom tyrosinase activity in vitro, but significantly decreased extracellular and intracellular melanin production in B16F10 cells, and inhibited α-MSH-induced expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase. PS and PTS also attenuated pigmentation in α-MSH-stimulated zebrafish larvae. Furthermore, PS and PTS activated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), whereas PD98059, a specific ERK inhibitor, completely reversed PS- and PTS-mediated anti-melanogenic activity in B16F10 cells and zebrafish larvae, which indicates that PS- and PTS-mediated anti-melanogenic activity is due to ERK activation. Moreover, chromatography data showed that PS and PTS possessed 17 identical anthocyanins as a negative regulator of ERK. These findings suggested that anthocyanins from PS and PTS inhibited melanogenesis in vitro and in vivo by activating the ERK signaling pathway.

Hibiscus syriacus L. is distributed widely throughout Eastern and Southern Asia and considered as the national flower of South Korea. The extraction of several plant parts of H. syriacus L. is currently used as a natural remedy for several diseases, including breast and lung cancer, microbial infection, and chronic inflammation. However, the effect of the anthocyanin extract of H. syriacus L. petals (PS) in oxidative stress conditions has not been studied. In this study, we evaluated the cytoprotective effect of PS against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HaCaT keratinocytes. In this study, we found that PS significantly inhibited H2O2-induced apoptosis of HaCaT keratinocytes. We also revealed that PS mediated-cytoprotective effect was associated with the increased expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) arising from the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2). PS also decreased H2O2-induced excessive intracellular ROS generation and restored H2O2-induced mitochondrial depolarization through the downregulation of mitochondrial ROS production. Furthermore, H2O2-induced Bax and caspase-3 expression was markedly abolished in the presence of PS. The inhibition of HO-1 by zinc protoporphyrin significantly attenuated the cytoprotective effect of PS in H2O2-treated HaCaT keratinocytes along with ROS generation, indicating that HO-1 crucially affects PS-mediated cytoprotective properties. Collectively, our results suggested that, under H2O2-mediated oxidative stress conditions, PS sustained a normal level of mitochondrial membrane potential and ROS generation in HaCaT keratinocytes by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 axis, exerting cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress.

Fisetin is found in many fruits and plants such as grapes and onions, and exerts anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anticancer activity. However, whether fisetin regulates melanogenesis has been rarely studied. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of fisetin on melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cell and zebrafish larvae. The current study revealed that fisetin slightly suppressed in vitro mushroom tyrosinase activity; however, molecular docking data showed that fisetin did not directly bind to mushroom tyrosinase. Unexpectedly, fisetin significantly increased intracellular and extracellular melanin production in B16F10 melanoma cells regardless of the presence or absence of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH). We also found that the expression of melanogenesis-related genes such as tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), were highly increased 48 h after fisetin treatment. Pigmentation of zebrafish larvae by fisetin treatment also increased at the concentrations up to 200 µM and then slightly decreased at 400 µM, with no alteration in the heart rates. Molecular docking data also revealed that fisetin binds to glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). Therefore, we evaluated whether fisetin negatively regulated GSK-3β, which subsequently activates β-catenin, resulting in melanogenesis. As expected, fisetin increased the expression of β-catenin, which was subsequently translocated into the nucleus. In the functional assay, FH535, a Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor, significantly inhibited fisetin-mediated melanogenesis in zebrafish larvae. Our data suggested that fisetin inhibits GSK-3β, which activates β-catenin, resulting in melanogenesis through the revitalization of MITF and tyrosinase.

Abstract. Piceatannol has potent anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anticancer and antiproliferative effects. However, little is known about the mechanism by which piceatannol inhibits invasion and metastasis. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of piceatannol on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in DU145 human prostate cancer cells. The results revealed that MMP-9 activity was significantly increased in response to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). However, treatment with piceatannol reversed TNF-α-and MMP-9-induced gelatin zymography and its gene expression. In addition, a Matrigel invasion assay determined that piceatannol reduces the TNF-α-induced invasion of DU145 cells. Nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB) is a significant transcription factor that regulates numerous genes involved in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Therefore, whether piceatannol acts on NF-κB to regulate MMP-9 gene expression was analyzed. The results revealed that piceatannol attenuates MMP-9 gene expression via the suppression of NF-κB activity. Using a specific NF-κB inhibitor, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, it was confirmed that TNF-α-induced MMP-9 gene expression is primarily regulated by NF-κB activation. Piceatannol inhibited NF-κB activity by suppressing nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 and p50 subunits. Furthermore, TNF-α-induced Akt phosphorylation was significantly downregulated in the presence of piceatannol. The Akt inhibitor LY294002 caused a significant decrease in TNF-α-induced NF-κB activity and MMP-9 gene expression. Overall, these data suggest that piceatannol inhibits TNF-α-induced invasion by suppression of MMP-9 activation via the Akt-mediated NF-κB pathway in DU145 prostate cancer cells.