Royal jelly reduces melanin synthesis through down-regulation of tyrosinase expression

• Published in: The American journal of Chinese medicine (1979) Vol. 39; no. 6; p. 1253
• Main Authors: Han, Sang Mi, Yeo, Joo Hong, Cho, Yoon Hee, Pak, Sok Cheon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore 2011
• Subjects: Animals; Bees; Cell Line; Dermatologic Agents - pharmacology; Down-Regulation - drug effects; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Fatty Acids - pharmacology; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic - drug effects; Humans; Melanins - biosynthesis; Mice; Monophenol Monooxygenase - antagonists & inhibitors; Monophenol Monooxygenase - genetics; Monophenol Monooxygenase - metabolism; Pigments, Biological - biosynthesis; Skin - drug effects; Skin - enzymology; Skin - metabolism
• ISSN: 0192-415X
• DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x11009536

For cosmetic reasons, the demand for effective and safe skin-whitening agents is high. Since the key enzyme in the melanin synthetic pathway is tyrosinase, many depigmenting agents in the treatment of hyperpigmentation act as tyrosinase inhibitors. In this study, we have investigated the hypo-pigmentary mechanism of royal jelly in a mouse melanocyte cell line, B16F1. Treatment of B16F1 cells with royal jelly markedly inhibited melanin biosynthesis in a dose-dependent manner. Decreased melanin content occurred through the decrease of tyrosinase activity. The mRNA levels of tyrosinase were also reduced by royal jelly. These results suggest that royal jelly reduces melanin synthesis by down-regulation of tyrosinase mRNA transcription and serves as a new candidate in the design of new skin-whitening or therapeutic agents.