Laccase Mediator Cocktail System as a Sustainable Skin Whitening Agent for Deep Eumelanin Decolorization

Abstract

The overproduction of eumelanin leads to a panel of unaesthetic hyper-pigmented skin diseases, including melasma and age spots. The treatment of these diseases often requires the use of tyrosinase inhibitors, which act as skin whitening agents by inhibiting the synthesis of eumelanin, with harmful side effects. We report here that laccase from Trametes versicolor in association with a cocktail of natural phenol redox mediators efficiently degraded eumelanin from Sepia officinalis, offering an alternative procedure to traditional whitening agents. Redox mediators showed a synergistic effect with respect to their single-mediator counterpart, highlighting the beneficial role of the cocktail system. The pro-oxidant DHICA sub-units of eumelanin were degraded better than the DHI counterpart, as monitored by the formation of pyrrole-2,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (PTCA) and pyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylic acid (PDCA) degradation products. The most effective laccase-mediated cocktail system was successively applied in a two-component prototype of a topical whitening cream, showing high degradative efficacy against eumelanin.

Anti-Melanogenic and Antioxidant Activity of Bifidobacterium longum Strain ZJ1 Extracts, Isolated from a Chinese Centenarian

“…Phenyllactic acid, a common metabolite from the CFS of B. bifidum and L. plantarum by comparative metabolomics analyses, was identified as a tyrosinase inhibitor [ 34 ]. It is also worth identifying whether there are specific proteins from ZJ1 fermentation with the enzymatic activity to decolourise melanin [ 14 ]. We anticipate that future work will clarify the active components of ZJ1 fermentation products with distinctive activities, which would better define the mechanism of action of ZJ1 extracts and accelerate their development and application.…”

“…Retinoids alleviates hyperpigmentation by accelerating cell turnover and promoting rapid loss of melanin through epidermopoiesis [ 13 ]. Moreover, some specific proteins or enzymes could decolourise melanin in situ, e.g., Laccase from Trametes versicolor [ 14 ] and Lignin peroxidase [ 15 ], offering an alternative strategy to traditional whitening agents.…”

Biochemical Characteristics of Laccases and their Practical Application in the Removal of Xenobiotics from Waters

“…The action of mediators is beneficial because it allows laccases to oxidize large molecules, such as lignin, without the need for direct enzyme-polymer interactions and to increase the range of substrates with compounds with redox potentials exceeding their own. The use of mixtures of mediators enhances their synergistic effect and increases laccase activity [171,261].…”

Potential of Mushrooms Bioactive for the Treatment of Skin Diseases and Disorders

“…Some mushroom extracts can promote an even skin tone and improve overall skin radiance. A healthy skin barrier is crucial for preventing external triggers, like UV radiation and environmental pollutants, from inducing hyperpigmentation; components like beta-glucans, present in several mushrooms, can bolster the skin's barrier function [106]. Trametes versicolor, also known as the Turkey tail mushroom, has been incorporated into skincare products for its potential skin-brightening efects [106].…”