Hordenine, a single compound produced during barley germination, inhibits melanogenesis in human melanocytes

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 141; no. 1; pp. 174 - 181
• Main Authors: Kim, Sang-Cheol, Lee, Jin-Hyunk, Kim, Moo-Han, Lee, Jung-A., Kim, Yum Beom, Jung, Eunsun, Kim, Young-Soo, Lee, Jongsung, Park, Deokhoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Barley; Biological and medical sciences; Cyclic AMP - metabolism; Down-Regulation - drug effects; Germination; Hordenine; Hordeum - chemistry; Hordeum - growth & development; Hordeum - metabolism; Humans; Interferon Type I - genetics; Interferon Type I - metabolism; Malformations of the eye; Medical sciences; Melanins - biosynthesis; Melanocytes - cytology; Melanocytes - drug effects; Melanocytes - metabolism; Melanogenesis; Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor; Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor - genetics; Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor - metabolism; Ophthalmology; Oxidoreductases - genetics; Oxidoreductases - metabolism; Pregnancy Proteins - genetics; Pregnancy Proteins - metabolism; Tyramine - analogs & derivatives; Tyramine - metabolism; Tyramine - pharmacology; Tyrosinase; Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor; Barley; Hordenine; Melanogenesis; Tyrosinase; Human; Transcription; Germination; Melanocyte; Microphthalmia-associated transcription; Congenital disease; EC 1.14.18.1; Eye disease; Malformation; Cereal; EC 1.10.3.1; factor; Microphthalmia
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.03.017

•The effects of hordenine on melanogenesis were investigated.•Hordenine reduced melanin content and protein levels of MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2.•Hordenine inhibited cAMP production and CREB phosphorylation.•The anti-melanogenic effects of hordenine was mediated through the inhibition of cAMP signaling. Melanin plays an important role protecting skin against ultraviolet light injury. However, increased production and accumulation of melanin results in a large number of skin disorders. Here, we identified hordenine as an active compound from germinated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and investigated the effects of hordenine on melanogenesis and its mechanisms of action in human epidermal melanocytes. We measured melanin content, tyrosinase activity, expression of melanogenesis-related proteins, and cAMP production. Melanin content was significantly inhibited by hordenine. The intracellular cAMP level was also reduced by hordenine. In addition, expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), an upstream transcription factor of tyrosinase as well as tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2, was inhibited by hordenine. Taken together, these results show that hordenine inhibited melanogenesis by suppressing cAMP production, which is involved in the expression of melanogenesis-related proteins and suggest that hordenine may be an effective inhibitor of hyperpigmentation.