Disease relevance of alpha-Arbutin

• In a B16 melanoma cell system, DHLHZn was active in suppressing the synthesis of melanins as well as alpha-arbutin, well known as a depigmenting drug [1].
• Inhibitory effects of alpha-arbutin on melanin synthesis in cultured human melanoma cells and a three-dimensional human skin model [2].
• Enzymatic synthesis of alpha-arbutin by alpha-anomer-selective glucosylation of hydroquinone using lyophilized cells of Xanthomonas campestris WU-9701 [3].

High impact information on alpha-Arbutin

• A new synthesis of alpha-arbutin via Lewis acid catalyzed selective glycosylation of tetra-O-benzyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate with hydroquinone [4].
• Both alpha-Ab-alpha-G1 and alpha-Ab-alpha-G2 exhibited competitive-type inhibition on human tyrosinase as alpha-arbutin does [5].
• We studied the inhibitory effects of 4-hydroxyphenyl alpha-glucopyranoside (alpha-arbutin) on melanogenesis in cultured human melanoma cells, HMV-II, and in a three-dimensional cultured human skin model. alpha-Arbutin showed no inhibitory effect on HMV-II cell growth at a concentration below 1.0 mM [2].
• Treatment of the human skin model with 250 microg of alpha-arbutin did not inhibit cell viability, while melanin synthesis was reduced to 40% of that in the control [2].

References