In order to develop a skin-whitening agent, melanin contents and intracellular tyrosinase activity were determined by western blotting. Ethyl acetate fractions of 80% ethanol extracts from lily (Lilium Oriental Hybrid 'Siberia') bulbs (R-EA) inhibited melanin synthesis in a dose-dependent manner in α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-treated B16/F10 murine melanoma cells. Intracellular tyrosinase activity and melanin contents were suppressed by 45% and 74%, respectively, in response to treatment with 100 μg/mL of R-EA. Examination of protein expression associated with α-MSH-induced melanogenesis showed that tyrosinase related protein (TRP)-1 was inhibited more strongly than tyrosinase, and these results were correlated with stronger inhibition of melanin synthesis than intracellular tyrosinase activity. Taken together, R-EA containing p-coumaric acid and resveratrol could be used as a hypopigmentation agent through suppression of sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation via melanogenic induction.

Abstract:The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of extract and its fraction of Daucus carota var. sativa flower were studied in vitro. Extract and ethyl acetate fraction, butanol fraction of carrot flower showed radical scavenging effects on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). We also investigated the effect of extract and ethyl acetate fraction, butanol fraction of carrot flower on NO production in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Extract and its fraction of carrot flower significantly inhibited NO production and this inhibitory action was not due to the cytotoxicity. This study suggests that extract and ethyl acetate fraction, butanol fraction of Daucus carota var. sativa flower could contribute to the chemoprevention and therapy of oxidative stress and inflammation.