Natural Melanogenesis Stimulator a Potential Tool for the Treatment of Hypopigmentation Disease

Abstract

The synthesis of melanin pigments or melanogenesis has many important physiological functions that include photo protection of the human skin from ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Melanogenesis is a complex pathway involving melanin synthesis, melanin transport, and melanosome release. Melanin synthesis is stimulated by various effects such as α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH); cyclic AMP (cAMP) elevating agents including palmitic acid, methyl ester, psoralen, thymoquinone, piperine, berberine and withaferin-A. Loss of the hair shaft melanin is associated with decrease of tyrosinase activity in the bulb of melanocytes. Activators of tyrosinase with stimulatory effects on melanogenesis are beneficial for the treatment of hypopigmentation diseases. This is only report authors found in literature about tyrosinase activation. Melanogenesis stimulator are rarely studied as most industries are more interested on inhibitors of the enzyme in order to reduce the adverse effects of melanin formation in, for example, processed food and human skin. Hence, there is a need to review the successful utilization of tyrosinase stimulators from natural herbs for medicinal applications.

The effect of Medicago sativa extract and light on skin hypopigmentation disorders in C57/BL6 mice

“…Of the most important is the detection of P-Coumaric acid in the studied plant extract, which poses an antioxidant effect, reducing UV-induced erythema formation and subsequent pigmentation in human skin [35]- [37], and is considered a concentration-dependent tyrosinase inducer [38]. Tyrosinase activators, which have stimulating effect on melanin formation, are bene cial in the treatment of depigmentation diseases [39]. Plants that have compounds that act as tyrosinase inducers such as Daphne gnidium, Moricandia arvensis, and Vernonia anthelmintica, were previously used to increase skin pigmentation [40].…”

“…Melanin synthesis has several critical physiological functions, including protecting human skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation [39]. Melanogenesis is a complex pathway that involves melanin synthesis, transport, and release.…”

“…27 Tyrosinase activators, which have stimulating effect on melanin formation, are beneficial in the treatment of depigmentation diseases. 28 Plants that have compounds that act as tyrosinase inducers such as Daphne gnidium, Moricandia arvensis, and Vernonia anthelmintica were previously used to increase skin pigmentation. 29 The prepared creams containing M. sativa plant extract showed Melanin synthesis has several critical physiological functions, including protecting human skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.…”

“…29 The prepared creams containing M. sativa plant extract showed Melanin synthesis has several critical physiological functions, including protecting human skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. 28 Melanogenesis is a complex pathway that involves melanin synthesis, transport, and release. Melanin synthesis is stimulated by variable factors, including α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and cyclic AMP enhancers.…”

“…Loss of hair shaft melanin is associated with decreased tyrosinase activity in melanocyte bulbs. 28 Therefore, the black color of the skin which was observed in bergapten-treated mice can be explained by the ability of Bergapten to increase skin pigmentation by stimulating melanin synthesis. 30 Restoration of black skin color was also observed in the 20% plant extract cream treated mice, which may be due to the ability of M. sativa extract to increase the pigmentation by inducing the tyrosine enzyme activity.…”