Funasaka Y, Komoto M, Ichihashi M
Department of Dermatology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.
Pigment Cell Res. 2000;13 Suppl 8:170-4. doi: 10.1111/j.0893-5785.2000.130830.x.
Oral vitamin E supplementation has been reported to improve facial hyperpigmentation. alpha-Tocopheryl ferulate (alpha-TF) is a compound of alpha-tocopherol (alpha-T) and ferulic acid connected by an ester bond. Ferulic acid is also an antioxidant, and could scavenge free radicals induced by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and thus maintain the long-lasting antioxidative effect of alpha-T. Previously we have reported that alpha-TF inhibited melanogenesis in human melanoma cells. To know whether alpha-TF might be useful as a whitening agent to improve and prevent facial hyperpigmentation, the depigmenting effect of alpha-TF in normal human melanocytes was examined in this study. The results showed that 30 microg/ml of alpha-TF dissolved in 150 microg/ml of lecithin inhibited melanization significantly without inhibiting cell growth. This phenotypic change was associated with the inhibition of tyrosinase and the degree of inhibition was dose dependent. No significant effect on DOPAchrome tautomerase (DT) activity was observed. These results suggest that alpha-TF is a candidate for an efficient whitening agent which suppresses melanogenesis. In this paper, the role of alpha-T and alpha-TF in inhibiting biological reactions induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is also discussed.
据报道，口服补充维生素E可改善面部色素沉着。阿魏酸生育酚酯（α-TF）是由阿魏酸与生育酚（α-T）通过酯键连接而成的化合物。阿魏酸也是一种抗氧化剂，能够清除紫外线（UV）辐射诱导产生的自由基，从而维持α-T的持久抗氧化作用。此前我们曾报道α-TF可抑制人黑色素瘤细胞中的黑色素生成。为了解α-TF是否可用作美白剂来改善和预防面部色素沉着，本研究检测了α-TF对正常人黑素细胞的色素减退作用。结果显示，溶解于150μg/ml卵磷脂中的30μg/mlα-TF可显著抑制黑色素生成，且不抑制细胞生长。这种表型变化与酪氨酸酶的抑制有关，且抑制程度呈剂量依赖性。未观察到对多巴色素互变异构酶（DT）活性有显著影响。这些结果表明，α-TF是一种抑制黑色素生成的高效美白剂候选物。本文还讨论了α-T和α-TF在抑制活性氧（ROS）诱导的生物反应中的作用。
