title: Inhibitory effects of active compounds isolated from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds for melanogenesis.
abstract: In order to develop a new skin whitening agent, safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds were evaluated for melanogenesis inhibitory activity and its active principles were identified following activity-guided isolation. The 80% aqueous methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction from safflower seeds showed a significant inhibition for mushroom tyrosinase. Three active compounds, N-feruloylserotonin, N-(p-coumaroyl)serotonin, and acacetin, were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction as the active principles. Compared with arbutin (IC50=0.223 mM), the IC50 values of these compounds were 0.023, 0.074, and 0.779 mM for N-feruloylserotonin, N-(p-coumaroyl)serotonin, and acacetin, respectively. It was also found that N-feruloylserotonin and N-(p-coumaroyl)serotonin strongly inhibited the melanin production of Streptomyces bikiniensis and B16 melanoma cells in comparison with a known melanogenesis inhibitor, arbutin.
authors.affiliation: HAITAI Confectionary R&D Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Seop
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jung Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Kwan
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031187:Carthamus tinctorius; D008543:Melanins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D012639:Seeds
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase