Planta Med 2012; 78 - PA11
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1320326

Evaluation of natural products as potential cosmetic agents with tyrosinase inhibition activity

A Vontzalidou 1, E Chaita 1, 2, N Aligiannis 1, M Makropoulou 1, E Kalpoutzakis 1, A Termentzi 1, N Guldbrandsen 3, M Hamburger 3, V Dumontet 4, O Pamlard 4, F Guéritte 4, AL Skaltsounis 1
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy & Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, Athens, 15771, Greece
  • 2Korres S.A. Natural Products, 57th Athens-Lamia National Road, 32011, Inofyta, Greece
  • 3Division of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
  • 4Centre de Recherche de Gif, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, C.N.R.S., 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

Skin whitening effects of a library of plant derived natural products were evaluated for their potential as new cosmetic agents. Specifically, 480 compounds with structurally diverse scaffolds and decoration patterns were screened for their anti-hyperpigmentation properties. The ability of the compounds to inhibit the oxidation of L-DOPA to dopaquinone and subsequently to dopachrome by the enzyme tyrosinase in a cell-free system was examined. The produced amount of dopachrome was measured at 475nm, and kojic acid was used as positive control. Four compounds were found to be very active (IC50<50µg/ml), 3 compounds showed a moderate activity (75µg/ml>IC50>50µg/ml), and 10 compounds were found to be weak inhibitors (150µg/ml>IC50>75µg/ml). Esculetin was the most potent inhibitor of tyrosinase. Its IC50 value was 3.7µM which was lower than that of kojic acid (IC50=11.9µM). On the basis of this screening an extract library derived from approx. 1800 plant species of the worldwide flora has been established.