Evaluation of Anti-Melanogenesis Activity of Enriched <i>Pueraria lobata</i> Stem Extracts and Characterization of Its Phytochemical Components Using HPLC–PDA–ESI–MS/MS

• Main Authors: Dan Gao, Jin Hyeok Kim, Cheong Taek Kim, Won Seok Jeong, Hyung Min Kim, Jaehoon Sim, Jong Seong Kang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: anti-melanogenesis; stem of Pueraria lobata; molecular docking; B16/F10 melanoma cell
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/15/8105

The root of <i>Pueraria lobata</i> (Willd.) is a widely used herbal medicine worldwide, whereas the stem of the plant is discarded or used as feed for livestock. To reuse and exploit the stem of <i>P. lobata</i> as a resource, we investigated its potential as a skin-whitening agent. We found that the developed, enriched <i>P. lobata</i> stem (PLS) extract significantly inhibited melanin production in the 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine-induced B16/F10 cells at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. To further confirm the mechanism of the antimelanogenic effect of the enriched PLS extracts, we examined the mRNA expression of tyrosinase, which was suppressed by the extracts. To standardize and implement effective quality control of the enriched PLS extracts, its major chemical constituents were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry. In total, 12 constituents were identified. In silico analysis showed that the main constituents, puerarin and daidzin, had excellent binding affinities for human tyrosinase. Collectively, our results suggest that the PLS extracts could be used as anti-pigmentation agents.