title: Evaluation of antioxidant and anti-melanogenic activities of different extracts from aerial parts of Nepeta binaludensis Jamzad in murine melanoma B16F10 cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nepeta binaludensis Jamzad (Lamiaceae) has been used in folk medicine of Iran to cure various diseases. The plant is an endemic species to the country that has recently been identified in Razavi Khorasan province. To evaluate the antioxidant and anti-melanogenesis of N. binaludensis, in this study the inhibitory activity of different extracts of N. binaludensis in murine melanoma B16F10 cells is investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts isolated from the plant on melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells were investigated. To assess the inhibitory effects of this plant on melanogenesis, various assays were used including cytotoxicity, inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase and cellular tyrosinase, determination of melanin content, the effect of extracts on reactive oxygen species and western blot analysis of proteins involved in melanogenesis process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The content of melanin and the activity of tyrosinase were significantly reduced with different extracts of N. binaludensis in cells. Reactive oxygen species was also significantly decreased following the treatment of cell with the mentioned extracts, while a resazurin assay showed no cytotoxicity. Furthermore, we have found that the plant decreased the amount of tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor proteins, which verify the role of suppression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor protein in melanogenesis inhibition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together the data indicate that N. binaludensis has inhibitory activity on melanin synthesis with no cytotoxic effects in B16 melanoma cells. Therefore, it merits future investigations to apply as whitening agent in hyperpigmentation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tayarani-Najaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akaberi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vatani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Ahmad
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Emami
keywords: Lamiaceae; Melanogenesis; Melanoma B16F10; Microphthalmia-associated; Nepeta binaludensis; Transcription factor; Tyrosinase