| 초록 |
Rhododendrol, 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanol, has been used as a skin whitening agent in cosmetics until it was reported to induce leukoderma in July 2013. The melanocyte toxicity appeared to be induced by reactive quinone intermediate of rhododendrol by tyrosinase. From these reports, we hypothesize that ideal whitening agent is non-phenolic compound having potent depigmenting activity. We developed 3,4,5-trimethoxy cinnamic acid thymol ester (Melasolv)TM as a whitening agent. Melasolv effectively inhibited melanin synthesis even at a concentration producing little cytotoxicity. The depigmenting activity of Melasolv may not be related to the direct inhibition of tyrosinase activity, radical scavenging, and cytotoxicity on melanocytes because of the absence of phenolic hydroxyl groups in their molecular structure. |
