본 연구는 갈근 추출물의 항산화 활성 및 멜라닌세포 효과를 평가하기 위하여 총 폴리페놀 함량, 총 플라보노이드 함량, DPPH radical 소거 활성을 통하여 항산화 활성을 살펴보고, B16F10 melanoma 세포에 대한 세포 독성 및 멜라닌 생합성 억제능 효과를 측정하였다. 연구 결과 B16F10 melanoma 세포에 대해 독성을 나타내지 않았으며, B16F10 melanoma 세포에 α-MSH로 멜라닌 생성 을 유도한 후 멜라닌 생합성 억제능을 측정한 결과 멜라닌의 생성 증가가 농도 의존적으로 억제되는 것 을 확인하였다. 항산화 활성에 대한 결과로는, 갈근 추출물은 폴리페놀과 플라보노이드의 함량이 높아 추출물의 농도가 증가함에 따라 DPPH radical 소거 활성이 증가되는 것을 확인하였다. 이와 같은 결과 를 통하여 갈근 추출물이 항산화 활성과 멜라닌세포 대한 멜라닌생성억제 효과가 뛰어나고 피부 세포에 대한 독성이 낮으며, 피부의 멜라닌 세포에 대한 안전성이 확인됨에 따라 화장품 소재로서의 가능성을 확인하였다.

EP was obtained through 20% ethanol extraction of Pueraria lobata root, and the fermented form of EP, FEP, was prepared from the EP after incubating with Lactobacillus rhamnosus vitaP1. There was no significant toxicity by EP and FEP up to 1000 ㎍/㎖ in NIH-3T3, HaCaT, and B16F10 cells. In addition to antioxidant potentials of EP and FEP determined by DPPH and ABST assays, we confirmed increase of procollagen type I and elastin synthesis by supplementation of the EP and FEP at the concentration of 50 ㎍/㎖ using ELISA kits. The protein expression levels of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-1, -3, and -9, those are involved in the degradation of collagen or other skin matrix proteins, were remarkably suppressed while their inhibitory protein metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP-1) was greatly up-regulated by supplementation of the EP and FEP at a concentration of 50 ㎍/㎖. Taken together, both EP and FEP supplementation could be involved in the suppression of the skin wrinkle formation through inhibiting degradation of collagen and stimulating the synthesis of collagen and elastin. The results showed that the anti-wrinkle potential of the EP and FEP will be a promising candidate for developing cosmeceutical compounds or products.

We evaluated the antioxidative activity of extracts of P. lobata root depending on roasting conditions. P. lobata roots were roasted at three different temperature at 150℃, 200℃, and 250℃ and three different time at 10 min, 20 min, and 30 min respectively. Roasted P. lobata root was extracted using water at 85℃ for 6 h and filtered using filter paper, followed by then evaporated (12±0.3 °Brix) and freeze-dried. The concentration of maker compound puerarin was determined using a high performance liquid chromatography system. 2 phenolic compounds, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activities of the extract powder were evaluated. Puerarin contents, Phenolic compounds, and flavonoid contents of roasted P. lobata root were higher than those of unroasted P. lobata root. The results of DPPH and ABTS showed that roasted P. lobata root possessed higher antioxidant activity than unroasted P. lobata root. This study suggested that roasting process could be applied to P. lobata root in order to achieve its high quality and functionality.

Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi was investigated to check its modulatory effects on the activation of macrophages upon inflammatory conditions treatment. For this purpose, we examined several inflammatory responses such as nitric oxide (NO) production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cytoprotection and phagocytosis under the treatment of methanol extract from P. lobata (Pl-ME). Pl-ME dose-dependently blocked NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- stimulated RAW264.7 cells but not sodium prusside (SNP)-generated NO release. The NO inhibition seemed to be due to blocking inducible NO synthase (iNOS), since Pl-ME suppressed its expression in a NF-kB-independent manner. Similarly, this extract also effectively protected RAW264.7 cells from LPS-induced cytotoxicity. However, Pl-ME did not block ROS generation and rather it enhanced. Finally, this extract negatively modulated FITC-dextran uptake. Therefore, our data suggested that Pl-ME may be involved in negatively regulating some macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses such as NO production and phagocytic uptake.