In order to develop a skin-whitening agent, melanin contents and intracellular tyrosinase activity were determined by western blotting. Ethyl acetate fractions of 80% ethanol extracts from lily (Lilium Oriental Hybrid 'Siberia') bulbs (R-EA) inhibited melanin synthesis in a dose-dependent manner in α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-treated B16/F10 murine melanoma cells. Intracellular tyrosinase activity and melanin contents were suppressed by 45% and 74%, respectively, in response to treatment with 100 μg/mL of R-EA. Examination of protein expression associated with α-MSH-induced melanogenesis showed that tyrosinase related protein (TRP)-1 was inhibited more strongly than tyrosinase, and these results were correlated with stronger inhibition of melanin synthesis than intracellular tyrosinase activity. Taken together, R-EA containing p-coumaric acid and resveratrol could be used as a hypopigmentation agent through suppression of sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation via melanogenic induction.
We investigated the anti-obesity effects of Foeniculum fructus water extract on body weight, epididymal adipocyte size, plasma lipid levels and activities of key enzymes such as lipoprotein lipase (LPL), acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) in high fat diet-induced obese mice. Experimental groups were normal diet group (ND), high fat diet group (HFD), high fat diet with 0.05% orlistat group (HFDO), and high fat diet with 0.5% Foeniculum fructus group (HFDF). Eleven-weeks feeding with HFD resulted in significant increase in lipid levels, body weight, liver and epididymal adipose tissue weight, compared with the ND group. Diet containing Foeniculum fructus water extract significantly reduced plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose concentrations as well as body weight, liver and epididymal adipose tissue weights. Plasma LDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the HFDF group than those in HFDO group. LPL activities elevated by a high fat diet were significantly decreased by Foeniculum fructus water extract administration. ACS activities decreased in the high fat diet group and markedly increased in the Foeniculum fructus water extract administered group. All things considered, Foeniculum fructus water extract efficiently inhibits the inflow of fatty acid into the cell, and activates metabolic process that uses fatty acids flowing as an energy source. Thus, Foeniculum fructus water extract may have great potential as a novel anti-obesity agent.
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