Chemical Composition and Skin-Whitening Activities of Siegesbeckia glabrescens Makino Flower Absolute in Melanocytes

Da Kyoung Lee; Kyung Jong Won; Do Yoon Kim; Yoon Yi Kim; Hwan Myung Lee

doi:10.3390/plants12233930

Chemical Composition and Skin-Whitening Activities of Siegesbeckia glabrescens Makino Flower Absolute in Melanocytes

Plants (Basel). 2023 Nov 22;12(23):3930. doi: 10.3390/plants12233930.

Authors

Da Kyoung Lee^{1

2}, Kyung Jong Won³, Do Yoon Kim^{1

2}, Yoon Yi Kim^{1

2}, Hwan Myung Lee^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Cosmetic and Biotechnology, College of Life and Health Sciences, Hoseo University, Asan 31499, Republic of Korea.
² Korea Essential Oil Resource Research Institute, Hoseo University, Asan 31499, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Physiology and Medical Science, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju 27478, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

Siegesbeckia glabrescens Makino (SGM) has been traditionally used to treat many disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, and acute hepatitis. However, the biological activities of SGM in skin remain unclear. The present study explored the effects of SGM flower absolute (SGMFAb) on skin-whitening-linked biological activities in B16BL6 cells. SGMFAb was extracted using hexane, and its composition was analyzed through gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. The biological effects of SGMFAb on B16BL6 melanoma cells were detected via WST and BrdU incorporation assays, ELISA, and immunoblotting. SGMFAb contained 14 compounds. In addition, SGMFAb was noncytotoxic, attenuated the serum-induced proliferation of, and inhibited melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in α-MSH-exposed B16BL6 cells. SGMFAb also reduced the expressions of MITF (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor), tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2 in α-MSH-exposed B16BL6 cells. Moreover, SGMFAb downregulated the activation of p38 MAPK, ERK1/2, and JNK in α-MSH-stimulated B16BL6 cells. In addition, SGMFAb reduced the expressions of three melanosome-transport-participating proteins (myosin Va, melanophilin, and Rab27a) in α-MSH-stimulated B16BL6 cells. These results indicate that SGMFAb positively influences skin whitening activities by inhibiting melanogenesis and melanosome-transport-related events in B16BL6 cells, and suggest that SGMFAb is a promising material for developing functional skin whitening agents.

Keywords: B16BL6 melanoma cells; Siegesbeckia glabrescens Makino; absolute; melanocytes; melanogenesis; skin whitening.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by a grant from the R&D Program for Forestry Technology of the Korea Forest Service (Korea Forestry Promotion Institute) (Grant No. 2021374B10-2323-BD02) and the Brain Pool program funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT through the National Research Foundation of Korea (Grant No. 2020H1D3A1A04081360).