Hydrolysis of arbutin to hydroquinone by human skin bacteria and its effect on antioxidant activity.
Arbutin, the beta-D-glucopyranoside of hydroquinone, is a skin whitening cosmetic ingredient. Compared with arbutin, hydroquinone is a more potent skin lightening agent, but shows cytotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and genotoxicity. To evaluate whether skin microflora can hydrolyze arbutin to hydroquinone, we measured the hydrolytic activity of the main skin microflora: Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. All strains hydrolyzed arbutin, with activities of 0.16-4.51 nmol/min/mg. The hydrolyzed hydroquinone showed more potent 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and tyrosinase inhibition than arbutin. These findings suggest that normal skin microflora may increase the skin lightening effect of arbutin due to the antioxidant action of hydroquinone.
Bang
Seo-Hyun
SH
Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
Han
Sang-Jun
SJ
Kim
Dong-Hyun
DH
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001104:Arbutin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000378:metabolism; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D006873:Hydroquinones; D001104:Arbutin; C031927:hydroquinone