Abstract

Melanin pigmentation has an essential role in protecting human skin against the damaging effects of ultra violet radiation, infection, environmental factor, etc. However abnormal melanin pigmentation can directly cause a number of congenital and acquired pigmentary skin disease. This study conducted to evaluate the effects of various partition extracts of Codonopsis lanceolata on the melanogenesis in the B 16 melanoma cells. The cells were treated for 3 days with various partition extracts of Codonopsis lanceolata. While treatment with the BuOH partition extract of Codonopsis lanceolata increased significantly the tyrosinase activity and melanin content, the n-Hexane or ethyl acetate partition extract dose-dependently suppressed them compared with untreated control. But ethyl acetate partition significantly decreased the cell viability. The H2O partiton extract at various concentrations did not exhibit any significant change on the melanogenesis. These results indicate that treatment with the n-Hexane partition extract inhibits the melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells, and raise the possibility that this extract may be effective in the abnormal melanin pigmentation as well as the whitening agent for the skin.

Keywords

• Radix Codonopsis lanceolatae;
• Melanogenesis