Abstract
Psoralea corylifolia L., (P. corylifolia), which is used for treating vitiligo in clinic, shows inhibitory and activating effects on tyrosinase, a rate-limiting enzyme of melanogenesis. This study aimed to determine the active ingredients in the ethenal extracts of P. corylifolia on tyrosinase activity. The spectrum-effect relationship and knock-out method were established to predict the active compounds. Their structures were then identified with the high resolution mass spectra. A high performance liquid chromatography method was established to obtain the specific chromatograms. Tyrosinase activity in vitro was assayed by the method of oxidation rate of levodopa. Partial least squares method was used to test the spectrum-effect relationships. Chromatographic peaks P2, P4, P9, P10, P11, P13, P21, P26, P28, and P30 were positively related to the activating effects on tyrosinase activity in PE, whereas chromatographic peaks P1, P3, P6, P14, P16, P19, P22, and P29 were negatively related to the activating effects on tyrosinase in the P. corylifolia (PEs). When the sample concentration was 0.5 g·mL−1, equal to the amount of raw medicinal herbs, the target components were daidzein (P2), psoralen (P5), neobavaisoflavone (P13), and psoralidin (P20), which were consistent with the results of spectrum-effect relationships.
Highlights
Vitiligo, a clinically common disease, is caused by acquired, localized, or generalized skin depigmentation
Fingerprint spectra are a recognized method used worldwide to evaluate the quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs)
We used fingerprint spectra to circumvent the weaknesses of the fingerprint technique and foster the strengths in TCM and to investigate spectrum-effect relationships of TCMs [19]
Summary
A clinically common disease, is caused by acquired, localized, or generalized skin depigmentation. Dry and mature fruit of P. corylifolia, which belongs to leguminous plant family and is used as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in clinic, is one of the most commonly used TCMs for the treatment of vitiligo. According to their chemical structures, about 90 compounds, including coumarins, flavonoids, meroterpenes, and benzofuran, have been isolated and identified [4]. One of the underlying mechanisms is that the skin absorbs light energy and combines with DNA to form an optical adduct, increasing TYR activity and melanin synthesis [5]. Li et al found that bakuchiol at the low concentration had stronger inhibiting effect on TYR than that of arbutin [8]
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