AI Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to find natural substances that can inhibit melanogenesis, the process of melanin production in skin.
- Silymarin was found to effectively reduce melanin production in mouse melanocyte cells, with an IC50 value indicating significant inhibition without harming cell viability.
- The mechanism of silymarin's action involves reducing the expression of the enzyme tyrosinase, crucial for melanin production, suggesting its potential as a natural skin-lightening agent.
Article Abstract
Objectives: The aim was to search for inhibitors of melanogenesis from natural resources.
Methods: The inhibitory effect of silymarin on melanogenesis in a spontaneously immortalized mouse melanocyte cell line, Mel-Ab, was studied.
Key Findings: Silymarin significantly prevented melanin production in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value (concentration producing 50% maximal inhibition) of 28.2 microg/ml, without effects on cell viability. Also, silymarin inhibited L-DOPA oxidation activity of tyrosinase, the rate-limiting melanogenic enzyme, in cell based-systems but it did not directly affect cell-free tyrosinase activity. Furthermore, Western blot analysis indicated that silymarin decreased the expression of tyrosinase protein.
Conclusions: This study suggests that the depigmenting effect of silymarin might be attributable to inhibition of tyrosinase expression and that silymarin may be useful as a natural skin-lightening agent.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1211/jpp/61.05.0016 | DOI Listing |
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