以液態發酵生產韋伯靈芝(Ganoderma weberianum)菌絲體及其萃取物對於黑色素生成之影響

Nature products isolated from Chinese medical herb have been used extensively in the inhibition of melanogenesis in skin whitening cosmetic products and preventing the browning of food products. ‘‘Lingzhi’’ is a common ingredient in various cosmetic lines and may result in the whitening effect of skin. This property is highly valued by many oriental countries. Skin whitening can be partially achieved via the inhibition of tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanogenesis. Classical inhibitors of tyrosinase such as arbutin and kojic acid are commonly used in various skin whitening products. However, due to their side effects and safety concerns, the need to find alternative inhibitors of melanogenesis with lower toxicity remains an important field in skin whitening. Several studies have identified compounds isolated from fungal sources to possess inhibitory activities towards tyrosinase as well. Here, my work focuses on the discovery of active compound(s) with anti-melanogenesis potential from the submerged culture of Ganoderma weberianum and elucidating their mechanism of action. The mycelium of the submerged culture was first extracted using 95% ethanol, followed by partition using chloroform and ethyl acetate. These two crude extracts were then further separated using a Sephadex LH-20 column into six fractions. By the B16-F10 melanoma cell model test, some specific fractions had the ability to inhibit the melanogenesis. In particular, fraction three (F3) had the strongest inhibitory effect toward melanogenesis on the in vivo tyrosinase activity without affecting the quantity. For the mRNA level, it shows no apparent difference between the control and F3 treatment for the transcription of melanognesis related gene, Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1(TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2). For the zebrafish model test, it also showed the inhibition ability on the pigmentation within the growth of embryo. Thus, our study has demonstrated that the chemical compounds isolated from Ganoderma weberianum have the potential to serve as alternative ingredients in skin whitening products.