Inhibitory Effects of Coumarin Derivatives on Tyrosinase

In this study, a series of coumarin derivatives were synthesized and their inhibitory effects on the activity of mushroom tyrosinase were evaluated. As a result of measuring the inhibition of tyrosinase activity of these derivatives, the compounds 3e (1.05 μM), 3f (0.83 μM), 3h (0.85 μM), 3i (1.05 μM), and 3k (0.67 μM) of the geranyloxycoumarin derivatives were highly active at a concentration of 0.8%. The geranyloxycoumarin derivatives exhibited better activity than the hydroxycoumarin derivatives. Among the geranyloxycoumarin derivatives, compound 3k was two times more active than arbutin, a positive control, at a concentration of 0.4%. The above results suggest that geranyloxycoumarin derivatives have great potential for application as functional cosmetic ingredients with tyrosinase-inhibiting activity.     

Identification of Mushroom and Murine Tyrosinase Inhibitors from Achillea biebersteinii Afan. Extract

Growing scientific evidence indicates that Achillea biebersteinii is a valuable source of active ingredients with potential cosmetic applications. However, the data on its composition and pharmacological properties are still insufficient. This study aims to optimize the extraction procedure of the plant material, evaluate its phytochemical composition, and compare anti-tyrosinase potential of A. biebersteinii extracts obtained by various methods. In order to identify compounds responsible for the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of A. biebersteinii, the most active anti-tyrosinase extract was fractionated by column chromatography. The fractions were examined for their skin lightening potential by mushroom and murine tyrosinase inhibitory assays and melanin release assay. HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis of the total extract revealed the presence of several phenolic acids, flavonoids, flavonoid glucosides, and carboxylic acid. Among them, fraxetin-8-O-glucoside, quercetin-O-glucopyranose, schaftoside/isoschaftoside, gmelinin B, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid (1,3-DCQA), and ferulic acid were found in the fractions with the highest skin lightening potential. Based on obtained qualitative and quantitative analysis of the fractions, it was assumed that the caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and dicaffeoylquinic acid derivatives are more likely responsible for mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity of A. biebersteinii extracts and fractions. Ferulic acid was proposed as the most active murine tyrosinase inhibitor, responsible also for the reduced melanin release from B16F10 murine melanoma cells.     

The Photophysics and Photochemistry of Melanin- Like Nanomaterials Depend on Morphology and Structure

Melanin-like nanomaterials have found application in a large variety of high economic and social impact fields as medicine, energy conversion and storage, photothermal catalysis and environmental remediation. These materials have been used mostly for their optical and electronic properties, but also for their high biocompatibility and simplicity and versatility of preparation. Beside this, their chemistry is complex and it yields structures with different molecular weight and composition ranging from oligomers, to polymers as well as nanoparticles (NP). The comprehension of the correlation of the different compositions and morphologies to the optical properties of melanin is still incomplete and challenging, even if it is fundamental also from a technological point of view. In this minireview we focus on scientific papers, mostly recent ones, that indeed examine the link between composition and structural feature and photophysical and photochemical properties proposing this approach as a general one for future research.     

黑色素对流感病毒诱导细胞凋亡的抑制效应

用荧光染色技术及流式细胞仪分析方法研究了 Ａ１／京防８６１ 和 Ｂ／沪防９３１ 两株流感病毒感染与细胞凋亡的关系,探讨利用嗜麦芽假单胞菌黑色素抑制流感病毒诱导 Ｍ Ｄ Ｃ Ｋ 细胞凋亡的可能性 结果显示：黑色素在 １００ ｍ ｇ· Ｌ－ １ 浓度范围内,对 Ｍ Ｄ Ｃ Ｋ 细胞无细胞毒性; Ａ１／京防 ８６１ 和 Ｂ／沪防 ９３１ 两株流感病毒均可诱导 Ｍ Ｄ Ｃ Ｋ细胞凋亡,但二者存在毒力差异（ｐ＜ ０．０５）病毒感染１２ ｈ 后,荧光染色可观察到典型的凋亡核形态,流式细胞仪则可检测到病毒诱导 Ｍ Ｄ Ｃ Ｋ 细胞产生的凋亡峰,且细胞凋亡率分别为３７．０２％ 和 ２７２９％ ;２０ ｍ ｇ· Ｌ－ １ 的黑色素可有效抑制两株流感病毒诱导细胞凋亡,使细胞凋亡指数从２５％ ～３５％ 降至３％ 以下 结果表明,黑色素可以抑制 Ａ 和 Ｂ型流感病毒诱导细胞凋亡     

Melanin‐Containing Films: Growth from Dopamine Solutions versus Layer‐by‐Layer Deposition

Films formed by oxidation of dopamine are of interest for functionalisation of solid–liquid interfaces owing to their versatility. However, the ability to modulate the properties of such films, for example, permeability to ionic species and the absorption coefficient, is urgently needed. Indeed, melanin films produced by oxidation of dopamine absorb strongly over the whole UV/Vis part of the electromagnetic spectrum and are impermeable to anions even for a film thickness as low as a few nanometers. Herein we combine oxidation of dopamine to produce a solution containing dopamine–melanin particles and their alternating deposition with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) to produce films which have nearly the same morphology as pure dopamine–melanin films but are less compact, more transparent and more permeable to ferrocyanide anions.     

Time-resolved photoluminescence study of excited states in nanostructured melanin

Abstract

Time resolved emission spectra (TRES), 3D maps of photoluminescence excitation-emission (PLE maps), 3D maps of TRES, and kinetics of photoluminescence (PL) spectra of natural and synthetic melanin, as well as melanin composites with surfactant, sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate, have been studied. The kinetics of PL and TRES for the melanin and the composites were investigated at low temperatures that allowed to discuss melanin’s intermolecular complexation, nano-aggregation and formation of charge transfer states. Particularly, the radiation of Frenkel excitons from fragments of different degrees of conjugation that are the parts of molecular nanodisks of melanin is observed. Furthermore, charge transfer excitons (CT-excitons) can be formed and observed at both room and helium temperatures. Some bands in the PL spectra of melanin, depending on temperature, behave like excimer radiation. The studies are aiming to understand the electronic properties of various melanins, particularly natural ones.     

Detection and quantitation of a pheomelanin component in melanin pigments using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry system with multiple reaction monitoring mode

Here, we describe the reliable method for the detection and quantitation of a pheomelanin component in melanin pigments. Synthetic melanins with various contents of pheomelanin‐type structural units were thermally degraded, and the multiple reaction monitoring mode was applied to detect the pheomelanin markers in the pyrolysates by GC/MS/MS. The method allowed the specific detection and quantitation of a pheomelanin component in melanin with the incorporation of pheomelanin‐type units as low as 0.05%. Considering highly universal character of the pheomelanin markers, the method could be applied for structural studies of natural melanin pigments being mixtures of eumelanin and pheomelanin. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

气相色谱/质谱法鉴定黑芝麻中黑色素的结构类型

 为获得天然高分子化合物黑芝麻中黑色素的分子结构信息 ,对其进行碱熔降解 ,然后对降解产物进行硅烷化衍生 ,再利用气相色谱 /质谱联用分析 ,结果发现产物中含有儿茶酚、对苯二酚和儿茶酸 ,从而证明黑芝麻中的黑色素具有儿茶酚型黑色素的结构特征。     

用于正电子断层扫描成像的68Ga标记PM2.5模拟粒子的制备及其活体示踪

将黑色素纳米颗粒(melanin nanoparticle,MNP)经聚乙二醇(polyethylene glycol,PEG)修饰制备得到PEG-MNP,随后通过与放射性的⁶⁸Ga³⁺离子螯合,高标记产率地制备得到⁶⁸Ga-PEG-MNP,标记产物稳定性良好。进一步将⁶⁸Ga-PEG-MNP通过雾化方式制备得到⁶⁸Ga-PEG-MNP PM_2.5(particulate matter 2.5,size<2.5 μm)模拟颗粒,其经雾化小鼠吸入体内后,通过正电子断层扫描(positron emission tomography,PET)成像对小鼠进行全身显影,结果可见雾化的⁶⁸Ga-PEG-MNP PM_2.5模拟颗粒可由气管向肺部双叶区域扩散,并滞留于肺。体内的PET成像结果与离体放射自显影结果高度一致。     

Theoretical Exploring of a Molecular Mechanism for Melanin Inhibitory Activity of Calycosin in Zebrafish

Tyrosinase is an oxidase that is the rate-limiting enzyme for controlling the production of melanin in the human body. Overproduction of melanin can lead to a variety of skin disorders. Calycosin is an isoflavone from Astragali Radix, which is a traditional Chinese medicine that exhibits several pharmacological activities including skin whitening. In our study, the inhibitory effect of calycosin on melanin production is confirmed in a zebrafish in vivo model by comparing with hydroquinone, kojic acid, and arbutin, known as tyrosinase inhibitors. Moreover, the inhibitory kinetics of calycosin on tyrosinase and their binding mechanisms are determined using molecular docking techniques, molecular dynamic simulations, and free energy analysis. The results indicate that calycosin has an obvious inhibitory effect on zebrafish pigmentation at the concentration of 7.5 μM, 15 μM, and 30 μM. The IC₅₀ of calycosin is 30.35 μM, which is lower than hydroquinone (37.35 μM), kojic acid (6.51 × 10³ μM), and arbutin (3.67 × 10⁴ μM). Furthermore, all the results of molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and free energy analysis suggest that calycosin can directly bind to the active site of tyrosinase with very good binding affinity. The study indicates that the combination of computer molecular modeling and zebrafish in vivo assay would be feasible in confirming the result of the in vitro test and illustrating the target-binding information.