Melanin is cutaneous pigment which level of its production determines skin complexion. Overproduction of melanin, frequently promoted by UV rays, results in darkening of the skin. Inhibition of tyrosinase activity, a core component in melanin biosynthesis, is one of the mechanisms of depigmenting agents. Hydroquinone and kojic acid are the examples of well-known whitening agents widely used in both pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. However, their adverse effect issues still needed to be overcome. A recent study showed that p-chlorophenyl benzyl ether (Cl-benz), a new synthetic compound, more strongly inhibited mushroom tyrosinase than kojic acid. In the current study, cytotoxicity, anti-melanogenic activity and anti-tyrosinase activity of Cl-benz were performed in mouse B16F10 melanoma cells compared to kojic acid. After 24 h of treatment on B16F10 cells, the cytotoxicity was not observed with Cl-benz and kojic acid. However, after incubation for 48 h, kojic acid at a concentration of 500 μM reduced cell viability less than 50%, whereas Cl-benz-treated cells showed negligible cytotoxicity. For cell-based assay, Cl-benz exhibited inhibitory effect similar to kojic acid. Melanin production in B16F10 cells was suppressed by Cl-benz in a dose dependent manner. One hundred micrograms of Cl-benz decreased melanin content in α-MSH by 66%. Moreover, the percentage of cellular tyrosinase activity of Cl-benz showed positive association with its corresponding melanin content. These results revealed that Cl-benz could inhibit melanogenesis via the mechanism of cellular tyrosinase inhibition. Accordingly, Cl-benz has potential to become a novel skin whitening agent in terms of efficacy and safety.
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