Anti-melanogenesis and skin anti-wrinkle effects of methanol (ME) and hot water (HE) extracts from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma applanatum were investigated in this study. The total phenolic contents of the ME and HE of the mushroom were 11.68 and 3.15 μg GAEs/mg, respectively, whereas the total flavonoid contents of the ME and HE were 21.82 and 2.69 μg QEs/mg, respectively. The survival rate of B16-F10 murine melanoma cells treated with 750 μg ME and HE were 83.46% and 85.54%, respectively, thereby suggesting that mushroom extracts were slightly cytotoxic at the tested concentration. The in vitro tyrosinase inhibition by ME (83.15%) and HE (83.44%) was significantly lower than that of kojic acid (99.61%), the positive control, at 2.0 mg/mL. Although the inhibition of cellular melanin synthesis in B16-F10 melanoma cells by 2.0 mg/mL of ME (50.24%) and HE (51.24%) was lower than that of arbutin (64.84%), the inhibition by both ME and HE was higher than 50%. Collagenase inhibition by HE was comparable to 2.0 mg/mL epigallocatechin (EGCG), the positive control; however, elastase inhibition by ME and HE was lower than that of EGCG at the concentration tested. The results showed that the fruiting bodies of G. applanatum had good anti-tyrosinase, good anti-collagenase, and moderate anti-elastase activities, which might be useful for developing novel skin-whitening and anti-wrinkle agents.

Dictyophora indusiata (Vent.) Desv., “Queen of the mushroom”, is a mushroom in family Phallaceae of Basidiomycota, which is commonly used as edible and medicinal mushroom in China and Korea. This study initiated to evaluate the anti-cholinesterase, skin anti-wrinkle and melanogenesis inhibitory of 80% methanol extract from fruiting body of D.indusiata. In the anti-cholinesterase experiment, acetyl-cholinesterase and butyryl-cholinesterase inhibitory activities were performed. The extract were inhibited acetyl-cholinesterase and butyryl-cholinesterase 44.09% and 49.14% at the concentration 1 mg/mL, respectively. The skin anti-wrinkle effect of the extract were determined by measuring anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activities. While melanogenesis inhibitory activities were performed by tyrosinase, DOPA inhibitory and melanin synthesis inhibitory activities. The tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the extract were from 37.60~68.96%, while DOPA inhibitory activity were from 15.43 ~ 29.58% at the concentration ranged from 0.125~2.0 mg/mL. In addition, cellular tyrosinase activity was tested with result of the enzyme activity reduced from 99.09% to 72.91% against 25~500 μg/mL of the extract. The methanol extract of D.indusiata was inhibited melanin synthesis activity 41.86% at the concentration 500 μg/mL. The collagenase inhibitory activity of the extract from D.indusiata were 34.87%, which was comparable with the positive control, EGCG ( 45.31%). While the extract showed good inhibition of elastase enzyme (46.64%). The experiment results suggested that fruiting body of Dictyophora indusiata could be used as natural anti-cholinesterase and skin care agents.

Anti-wrinkle effect of herbal extracts was investigated on the skin of in a model of animal irradiated by ultraviolet rey B (UVB). The female albino hairless mice (HR/ICR) were randomly allocated to the normal control group (NC-non irradiated-vechicle), positive control group (PC, UVB irradiated vehicle) and herbal extract (HE) group. The herbal extract included the mixture of water and alcohol extract from Pleuropterus multflorus, Lonicera japonica Thunbert, Phellinus linteus, and Phaseolus radiatus. The herbal extract was treated dorsally with 0.2 ml per mouse five times a week for 12 weeks. At fifth week of the treatment, the animals were exposed to UVB irradiation for subsequent eight weeks three times a week. The intensity of irradiation was gradually increased from 30 mJ/㎠ to 240 mJ/㎠ (1MED: 60 mJ/㎠). Dorsal skins were obtained and stained with H&E to examine histological changes and epidermal/dermal thckness. The collagen fiber was also observed in Masson-Trichrome staining. Hydroxyproline assay and western blot analysis were also carried out to detect the change of collagen amount and to investigate MMP-1 expression, respectively. The HE group showed a better appearance and weak wrinkling, compared to PC group, The treatment of herbal extract significantly increased the thickness of dermis and the amount of collagen fibers compared to PC group (p＜0.05). The treatment of HE significantly increased the hydroxyproline amount compared to PC group (p＜0.05). The chronic UVB irradiation to hairless mice skin increased expression of MMP-1 but the treatment of HE decreased the expression of MMP-1. These results indicate that the herbal extract used in this study have a preventive effect on the UVB-induced wrinkle in a hairless mice model, partly due to the reduction of MMP-1 expression and increment of collagen amount.