Abstract
Nitrogenous derivatives of the two orange pigments from Monascus sp. with anti-melanogenic activities were prepared using fermentation and chemical synthesis. The pigments were produced in a 5 l jar fermentor. A total of 33 derivatives were synthesized via incorporation of L-amino acids and amines into the pigments. Two derivatives with high inhibitory melanin-synthesizing activities and low cell toxicities were selected based on testing using B16F10 cells. Glutamic acid and (S)-(+)-1-amino-2-propanol derivatives showed high inhibitory activities against melanogenesis. Both the reaction and expression of tyrosinase, an important enzyme in the melanin-synthesizing pathway, were inhibited by the glutamic acid derivative in a dose-dependent manner. The (S)-(+)-1-amino-2-propanol derivative inhibited expression of tyrosinase in cells, but not the tyrosinase reaction. TRP1 and TRP2, other important proteins in melanin-synthesis, were not affected by the two derivatives.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MOE) (No. 2013R1A1A2064267), the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE), and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) through the Inter-ER Cooperation Projects.
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Jo, D., Choe, D., Nam, K. et al. Biological evaluation of novel derivatives of the orange pigments from Monascus sp. as inhibitors of melanogenesis. Biotechnol Lett 36, 1605–1613 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-014-1518-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-014-1518-1