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Callicarpa longissima extract, carnosol-rich, potently inhibits melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells

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Abstract

Cosmetic industries focus on developing materials and resources that regulate skin pigmentation. Melanin, the major pigment in human skin, protects the skin against damage from ultraviolet light. An ethanolic extract of the leaves of Callicarpa longissima inhibits melanin production in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells by suppressing microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) gene expression. Following purification and analysis using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), NMR, and biochemical assays, carnosol was determined to be responsible for the major inhibitory effect of the C. longissima extract on melanin production. Carnosol is an oxidative product of carnosic acid, whose presence in the extract was also confirmed by an authentic reference. The carnosol and carnosic acid content in the extract was approximately 16 % (w/w). These results suggest that C. longissima is a novel, useful, and attractive source of skin-whitening agents.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mrs. Junko Morita, Mr. Sachio Shiga, Mr. Fumihiro Kamada, Dr. Shigeki Katsuki (National Institute of Biomedical Innovation), and Mr. Akihiro Hojo (Kansai University) for providing technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Molecular Science of Medicine, Aichi Medical University, 1-1, Yazakokarimata, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan

    Minori Yamahara & Hideto Watanabe

  2. Department of Research and Development, Momotani-juntenkan Co. Ltd, 2-4-30, Ichioka, Minato-ku, Osaka, 552-0012, Japan

    Minori Yamahara & Azusa Kuroi

  3. Tanegashima Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, Japan National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 17007-2, Matsubarayama, Noma, Nakatane-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima, 891-3604, Japan

    Koji Sugimura, Osamu Iida & Nobuo Kawahara

  4. Cell Signaling and Metabolic Disease Laboratory, Department of Fundamental Technological Research, Japan National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8, Asagi-Saito, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0085, Japan

    Ayako Kumagai, Azusa Kuroi, Mai Kagawa, Yumi Itoh & Hiroshi Takemori

  5. Tsukuba Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, Japan National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 1-2, Hachimandai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0843, Japan

    Hiroyuki Fuchino, Osamu Iida & Nobuo Kawahara

  6. Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka, 564-8680, Japan

    Hidehisa Kawahara & Yasuo Nagaoka

Authors
  1. Minori Yamahara
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  2. Koji Sugimura
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  9. Yasuo Nagaoka
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  13. Hideto Watanabe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroshi Takemori.

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Conflict of interest

MY and AK are employees of Momotani-juntenkan Co. Ltd., which paid 300,000 JP Yen: 2012 towards the costs of this study. Other contributors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

This study was funded by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare/AMED (2013–2017, 2014–2016 to HT and HW), and Supported Program for the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities (2011–2015: S1101027 to HW and 2013–2017 to HK, YN, and HT) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports Science and Technology Japan.

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Yamahara, M., Sugimura, K., Kumagai, A. et al. Callicarpa longissima extract, carnosol-rich, potently inhibits melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. J Nat Med 70, 28–35 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-015-0933-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-015-0933-5

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