title: Simultaneous determination of arbutin and its decomposed product hydroquinone in whitening creams using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection: Effect of temperature and pH on decomposition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Arbutin is an effective agent for the treatment of melanin disorders. Arbutin may be converted to hydroquinone under conditions of high temperature, ultraviolet (UV) radiation and dilute acid. The aim of the current study was to develop an analytical method to determine the levels of arbutin and hydroquinone in whitening cosmetic products using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD). In addition, we investigated the effects of high temperature and pH on the decomposition of arbutin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples extracted using two-step sonications were separated on a C18 column using a gradient mobile phase consisting of water and methanol. A 60-mm (40 μL) DAD cell was used to enhance the sensitivity of hydroquinone determination. Thermal decomposition of arbutin was evaluated at temperatures ranging from 60 to 120°C for 1-36 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The method showed good linearity (R(2) ≥ 0.9997), precision (relative standard deviation, RSD < 5%) and acceptable extraction recovery (90-102.6%). The limits of quantitation for arbutin and hydroquinone were 0.0085 and 0.0119 μg mL(-1) , respectively. One sample of 21 cosmetic products tested contained arbutin at a concentration 1.61 g 100 g(-1) cream and 0.12 g 100 g(-1) cream of hydroquinone. Arbutin (327.18 ppm) decomposed after 6 h at 120°C and produced 10.73 ppm of hydroquinone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The developed method is simple to detect both arbutin and hydroquinone simultaneously in cosmetic products, at an adequate level of sensitivity. Notably, temperature and pH did not influence the decomposition of arbutin to hydroquinone in a 2% arbutin cream.
authors: Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Nuengdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, Korea.|Public Health Research Division, Gyeonggi Province Institute of Health and Environment, 95, Pajang cheon-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwonsi, Gyeonggi Province, 440-290, Korea.
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Jeon
authors: Public Health Research Division, Gyeonggi Province Institute of Health and Environment, 95, Pajang cheon-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwonsi, Gyeonggi Province, 440-290, Korea.
authors: B H
authors: BH
authors: Kim
authors: Public Health Research Division, Gyeonggi Province Institute of Health and Environment, 95, Pajang cheon-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwonsi, Gyeonggi Province, 440-290, Korea.
authors: S H
authors: SH
authors: Lee
authors: Public Health Research Division, Gyeonggi Province Institute of Health and Environment, 95, Pajang cheon-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwonsi, Gyeonggi Province, 440-290, Korea.
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Kwon
authors: Public Health Research Division, Gyeonggi Province Institute of Health and Environment, 95, Pajang cheon-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwonsi, Gyeonggi Province, 440-290, Korea.
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Bae
authors: Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Nuengdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, Korea.
authors: S K
authors: SK
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Nuengdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, Korea.
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Park
authors: Biotechnology Research Institute, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, 300 Yongbong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 500-757, Korea.
authors: J H
authors: JH
authors: Shim
authors: Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Nuengdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, Korea.|Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, 12211, Egypt.
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Abd El-Aty
authors: Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Nuengdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, Korea.
authors: H C
authors: HC
authors: Shin
mesh_terms: D001104:Arbutin / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000032:analysis*; D062327:Skin Lightening Preparations / Q000737:chemistry*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D006873:Hydroquinones; D062327:Skin Lightening Preparations; D001104:Arbutin; C031927:hydroquinone
keywords: arbutin; high-performance liquid chromatography; hydroquinone; temperature; whitening cosmetics