Anti-melanogenesis in B16F0 Melanoma Cells by Extract of Fermented Cordyceps militaris Containing High Cordycepin

Abstract

To find a novel skin whitening agent, the effect of cordycepin-enriched Cordyceps militaris (CMα) extract fermented by fungi on anti-melanogenesis in B16F0 mouse melanoma cells was investigated.Fermented CMα was prepared with fungi, including Monascus purpureus (Mp), Aspergillus oryzae (Ao), Aspergillus kawachii (Ak), and Rhizopus oryzae (Ro), respectively. When the content of the phenolics and the flavonoids and the activities of the antioxidant and the mushroom tyrosinase inhibition were measured in the CM fermented by Ak (AkF-CM), the highest content of the phenolics was 46 mg/g dry weight and the highest content of the flavonoids was 0.93 mg/g; the highest activity of the DPPH radical scavenging was 62.74% and the highest activity of the mushroom tyrosinase inhibition was 79.97% CMαCMα. From this result, AkF-CMα exhibited the highest mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity and so it was used in subsequent anti-melanogenesis. B16F0 melanoma cells were treated with 1-10 mg/ml concentrations of AkF-CMα and 200 μM arbutin as the positive control. The melanin content and cell viability of the melanoma cells by arbutin treatment decreased to 43% and 92% of the control, respectively. AkF-CMα treatment at 1, 3, and 5 mg/ml concentrations decreased the extracellular melanin release induced by IBMX treatment by 35%, 45%, and 53%, respectively. AkF-CMα showed inhibitory activity against both intracellular tyrosinase in melanoma cells and mushroom tyrosinase. AkF-CMα reduced the protein level of tyrosinase in the IBMX-stimulated cells. These results indicate that AkF-CMα suppressed the activity and protein content of cellular tyrosinase and decreased the total melanin content in cultured B16F0 melanoma cells. IntroductionMelanin is synthesized in the epidermal melanosomes of melanocytes with UV radiation in human skin and is major factor to determine skin color [23]. Melanin in skin plays important roles in the prevention of sun-induced skin injury, such as age spots, freckles, and melasma [33]. Tyrosinase is the rate-limiting enzyme for melanogenesis and plays an important role in the pathway of melanin synthesis, which is the hydroxylation of tyrosine to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and the subsequent oxidation of DOPA to dopaquinone [14]. Therefore, the development of tyrosinase inhibitors may be useful as a skin-whitening agent in the cosmetic industry. Recently, attention has been focused on the use of natural products in the development of more safer and effective whitening agents [20]. Hence potent tyrosinase inhibitors have been isolated epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), kaemperol, quercetine, and luteolin from natural plants [12,27].In addition, melanin biosynthesis inhibitors were isolated from microbial fermentation products such as terrein from Penicillium sp.[21] and aspochalasins from solid-state culture of Aspergillus flavipes [9], which potently inhibited melanogenesis in melanocyte cells without cytotoxicity. And potential tyrosinase inhibitors were also produced as se...

The Feasibility of Utilizing Cultured Cordyceps militaris Residues in Cosmetics: Biological Activity Assessment of Their Crude Extracts

“…As studied previously, tyrosinase inhibition was initially focused on cordycepin extract prepared from the fruiting bodies of C. militaris. Cha and Kim demonstrated that cordycepin can suppress cellular tyrosinase activity and melanin production in cultured B16F0 melanoma cells [61]. Subsequently, Li et al [62] reported that both cordycepin and the mycelia of C. militaris extracted using boiling water can provide tyrosinase-inhibition activity.…”

Antioxidant, Anti-Melanogenic and Anti-Wrinkle Effects ofPhellinus vaninii

“…The results suggested that the inhibition of melanin synthesis in B16-F10 melanoma cells by ME was significantly higher than that of arbutin, while the inhibition of melanin production by HE was significantly lower than that of arbutin. Cha and Kim [51] demonstrated that fermented extract of Cordyceps militaris exhibited 66-47% melanin synthetic activity at 1.0-3.0 mg/mL in B16-F10 melanoma cells, suggesting that inhibitory activity of melanin synthesis of fruiting body extracts of Ph. vaninii were higher than that of fermented extract of Cordyceps militaris.…”

In vitro study: Catechins as depigmenting agents inhibit melanogenesis on B16F0 cells

“…C90 and C98 at a test duration of 72 hours showed better results in reducing the melanin content the water extract of Cordyceps militaris, where at a concentration of 5 mg/ml for 72 hours the melanin content was 59.8% in B16F0 cells (Cha and Kim, 2013). This result is different when compared with EGCG from tea extract, where at a concentration of 12.5 µg/ ml for 72 hours the melanin content in cells ranges from 20% to 52% in Melan-A cells (Kim et al, 2015), compared to C90 O n l i n e F i r s t and C98 where at a concentration of 10 µg/ml for 72 hours the melanin content was 76.7% and 62.1% in B16F0 cells, respectively.…”

“…The results of this study are expected to provide information about the potential of gambir catechins as depigmenting agents. In this study, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) was used to stimulate the process of melanogenesis in B16F0 cells (Cha and Kim, 2013). This study provides an additional list of compounds that can be formulated in cosmetic preparations as lightening agents.…”