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Biotechnological production of arbutins (α- and β-arbutins), skin-lightening agents, and their derivatives

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Abstract

Arbutins (α- and β-arbutins) are glycosylated hydroquinones that are commercially used in the cosmetic industry. These compounds have an inhibitory function against tyrosinase, a critical enzyme for generating pigments, which leads to the prevention of melanin formation, resulting in a whitening effect on the skin. Although β-arbutin is found in various plants including bearberry, wheat, and pear, α-arbutin and other arbutin derivatives are synthesized by chemical and enzymatic methods. This article presents a mini-review of recent studies on the production of α-arbutin and other α- and β-arbutin derivatives via enzymatic bioconversion methods. In addition, the structures of α- and β-arbutin derivatives and their biological activities are discussed. The catalytic characteristics of various enzymes used in the biosynthesis of arbutin derivatives are also reviewed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea grant funded by the Korean government (MEST) (No. 2012-0005289).

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  1. Graduate School of Biotechnology, and Institute of Life Science and Resources, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 446-701, South Korea

    Dong-Ho Seo, Jong-Hyun Jung, Jae-Eun Lee, Eun-Jung Jeon, Wooki Kim & Cheon-Seok Park

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  1. Dong-Ho Seo
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Correspondence to Cheon-Seok Park.

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Seo, DH., Jung, JH., Lee, JE. et al. Biotechnological production of arbutins (α- and β-arbutins), skin-lightening agents, and their derivatives. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 95, 1417–1425 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-4297-4

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