title: Sarsasapogenin Increases Melanin Synthesis via Induction of Tyrosinase and Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor Expression in Melan-a Cells.
abstract: Sarsasapogenin (SAR) is a steroidal sapogenin that is used as starting material for the industrial synthesis of steroids. It has various pharmacological benefits, such as antitumor and antidepressant activities. Since its effect on melanin biosynthesis has not been reported, we used murine melanocyte melan-a cells to investigate whether SAR influences melanogenesis. In this study, SAR significantly increased the melanin content of the melan-a cells from 1 to 10 μM. Based on an enzymatic activity assay using melan-a cell lysate, SAR had no effect on tyrosinase and DOPAchrome tautomerase activities. It also did not affect the protein expression of tyrosinase-related protein 1 and DOPAchrome tautomerase. However, protein levels of tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor were strongly stimulated by treatment with SAR. Therefore, our reports suggest that SAR treatment may induce melanogenesis through the stimulation of tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor expression in melan-a cells.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University Global Campus, Yongin 446-701.
authors.forename: Eunjung
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Ae-Jung
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun Yeou
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Hyperpigmentation; Melanogenesis; Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor; Sarsasapogenin; Tyrosinase