Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Anti-melanogenic effect of Amaranthus tricolor extract on UV radiation-exposed melanoma cells

Dai-Hung Ngo¹, Young-Sang Kim², Dai-Nghiep Ngo^3,4 , Thanh Sang Vo⁵

¹Thu Dau Mot University, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam; ²Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea; ³Faculty of Biology - Biotechnology, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Vietnam; ⁴Vietnam National University, Vietnam; ⁵Research and Development Institute of Advanced Agrobiology, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

For correspondence:- Dai-Nghiep Ngo Email: ndnghiep@hcmus.edu.vn Tel:+84908283498

Accepted: 2 February 2024 Published: 29 February 2024

Citation: Ngo D, Kim Y, Ngo D, Vo TS. Anti-melanogenic effect of Amaranthus tricolor extract on UV radiation-exposed melanoma cells. Trop J Pharm Res 2024; 23(2):307-313 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v23i2.10

© 2024 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the inhibitory effect of A. tricolor extract (ATE) on melanogenesis in UV radiation-exposed B16F10 cells.

Methods: Total phenolic and anthocyanin contents of ATE were examined by Folin-Ciocalteu and pH differential methods, respectively. The tyrosinase inhibitory effect of ATE was investigated using L-DOPA as a substrate and the suppressive effect of ATE on melanin production was determined in melanoma cells. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH method and reactive oxygen species formation while protein expression levels were evaluated by western blot method.

Results: The total phenolic and anthocyanin contents were identified up to 35 mg/g extract and 0.85 mg/g extract, respectively. ATE was found to inhibit both mushroom and cellular tyrosinase at IC₅₀ values of 242.2 ± 9.5 µg/mL and 202.9 ± 11.6 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, ATE treatment reduced melanin production up to (30 ± 5) % and suppressed p38 MAPK phosphorylation at the concentration of 400 µg/mL. In addition, ATE significantly scavenged DPPH radical with EC₅₀ value of 189.2 ± 8.9 µg/mL and abolished ROS formation in the cells.

Conclusion: These results indicate that A. tricolor extract has a potential protective effect against melanin production, suggesting its potential value in skin-lightening formulations.

Keywords: A. tricolor, Tyrosinase, Melanin, Melanoma cells, ROS