title: [Inhibitory effects of hydroquinone-alpha-glucoside on melanin synthesis].
abstract: Inhibitory effects of hydroquinone-alpha-glucoside (HQ-alpha-G) on the melanogenesis were investigated and compared with those of arbutin. The levels of inhibitory effects of HQ-alpha-G and arbutin on the tyrosinase activity were nearly the same. Inhibitory effects of both compounds on the melanogenesis, were studied using cultured B16 melanoma cells, and HQ-alpha-G was also found to have a similar effect to that of arbutin without inhibiting cell growth. In this experiment, while HQ-alpha-G hardly inhibited cell growth at 1 mM, arbutin inhibit it significantly at the same concentration. From these results it is suggested that HQ-alpha-G as well as arbutin inhibited the melanogenesis by affecting tyrosinase rather than by killing melanocytes. Furthermore, the melanogenesis of guinea-pigs with brown hair was reduced to about 80% by applying them each compound. The great differences in toxicity to normal human keratinocyte were not recognized between these two glucosides. It is, therefore, considered that HQ-alpha-G is an effective and safe ingredient for cosmetics.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001104:Arbutin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D005960:Glucosides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005960:Glucosides; D008543:Melanins; C096512:hydroquinoneglucoside; D001104:Arbutin; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase