Development and evaluation of high permeability liposomes for improving anti-melanogenic activity of taxus chinensis fruit polysaccharide

Taxus chinensis var. mairei fruit polysaccharide (TMFP) is a natural resource with effective hypoglycemic and anti-tumor properties. However, its impact on melanogenesis remains largely unexploited. This study explores the anti-melanogenic activity of TMFP using in vitro and in vivo models. It was found that TMFP can safely and effectively eliminate melanin and inhibit tyrosinase activity without cytotoxicity. More specifically, the inhibitory effect of TMFP on melanin synthesis was verified in zebrafish embryos. In addition, nine formulations of TMFP-Liposomes were prepared to improve drug transdermal absorption, and TMFP-Liposome E was determined as the optimal formulation after characterization and transdermal comparison experiments. Most importantly, in vivo skin whitening experiments gave that TMFP-Liposome E has better skin whitening activity than control, model, blank liposomes, TMFP aqueous, and arbutin groups. The cell viability and animal safety tests confirmed the good biosafety of TMFP-Liposome E. Overall, this research suggests that TMFP may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for skin diseases and a potent whitening agent for cosmetic use. TMFP-Liposome E may enhance the therapeutic effect of melanin through improved transdermal absorption.