Wenhao Liu1, Mengke Wang1, Shijie Xu1, Chang Gao1, Jiajia Liu1. 1. Department of Pharmacy Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: As an oil production byproducts, the shell of Camellia oleifera Abel (SC) is usually discarded in the dump. However, previous investigations suggested that the SC could provide valuable bioactive materials. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to examine the ability of SC extract to inhibit in vitro tyrosinase activity and the melanin inhibition effects of cosmetic formulations containing SC 1,3-butanediol extract in human volunteers. METHODS: The cell viability was determined using a WTT assay. A mushroom tyrosinase was used to evaluate the anti-tyrosinase activity of the SC extract. The placebo (no extract) or test (SC 1,3-butanediol extract) or positive control (kojic acid) cosmetic cream was applied on face of volunteers(30 female subjects) three times a day for 8 weeks. The active compounds in SC extract were screened using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF). RESULTS: The result showed that the cytotoxicity of SC extract is insignificant when the concentration of SC extract is below 160 µg/mL. In addition, SC extract dose dependently inhibited tyrosinase activity and SC 1,3-butanediol extract possessed a stronger inhibitory activity than methanol extract and water extract. Clinical evaluations revealed that facial melanin levels of the volunteers receiving cosmetic formulations (containing SC 1,3-butanediol extract) were decreased 59% from baseline in 6th weeks, whereas the placebo group showed no effect. SC 1,3-butanediol extract was detected to contain 12 kaempferol compounds, significantly, kaempferol 3-O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-glucopyranoside] and kaempferol-3,7-O-α-L-dirhamnoside are the major compounds. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that SC extract can be used as a natural skin-whitening agent in cosmetic products.
BACKGROUND: As an oil production byproducts, the shell of Camellia oleifera Abel (SC) is usually discarded in the dump. However, previous investigations suggested that the SC could provide valuable bioactive materials. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to examine the ability of SC extract to inhibit in vitro tyrosinase activity and the melanin inhibition effects of cosmetic formulations containing SC 1,3-butanediol extract in human volunteers. METHODS: The cell viability was determined using a WTT assay. A mushroomtyrosinase was used to evaluate the anti-tyrosinase activity of the SC extract. The placebo (no extract) or test (SC 1,3-butanediol extract) or positive control (kojic acid) cosmetic cream was applied on face of volunteers(30 female subjects) three times a day for 8 weeks. The active compounds in SC extract were screened using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF). RESULTS: The result showed that the cytotoxicity of SC extract is insignificant when the concentration of SC extract is below 160 µg/mL. In addition, SC extract dose dependently inhibited tyrosinase activity and SC 1,3-butanediol extract possessed a stronger inhibitory activity than methanol extract and water extract. Clinical evaluations revealed that facial melanin levels of the volunteers receiving cosmetic formulations (containing SC 1,3-butanediol extract) were decreased 59% from baseline in 6th weeks, whereas the placebo group showed no effect. SC 1,3-butanediol extract was detected to contain 12 kaempferol compounds, significantly, kaempferol 3-O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-glucopyranoside] and kaempferol-3,7-O-α-L-dirhamnoside are the major compounds. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that SC extract can be used as a natural skin-whitening agent in cosmetic products.