Alisol B, a triterpene from Alismatis rhizoma (dried rhizome of Alisma orientale), inhibits melanin production in murine B16 melanoma cells

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Abstract

To develop new whitening agents from natural products, we screened 80 compounds derived from crude drugs in Kampo medicine in a melanin synthesis inhibition assay using murine B16 melanoma cells. The screen revealed that treatment with alisol B, a triterpene from Alismatis rhizoma, significantly decreased both melanin content and cellular tyrosinase activity in B16 cells. However, alisol B did not directly inhibit mushroom tyrosinase activity in vitro. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of alisol B on melanogenesis. Alisol B suppressed mRNA induction of tyrosinase and its transcription factor, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). Furthermore, alisol B reduced the phosphorylation of CREB and maintained the activation of ERK1/2. These results suggest that the reduction in melanin production by alisol B is due to the downregulation of MITF through the suppression of CREB and activation of ERK and that alisol B may be useful as a new whitening agent.

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Yoshida, I., Ito, C., Matsuda, S., Tsuji, A., Yanaka, N., & Yuasa, K. (2017). Alisol B, a triterpene from Alismatis rhizoma (dried rhizome of Alisma orientale), inhibits melanin production in murine B16 melanoma cells. Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, 81(3), 534–540. https://doi.org/10.1080/09168451.2016.1268042

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