In vitro melanogenesis, antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities of Peltophorum pterocarpum leaves extracts / Ana Sharmila Shafie

Melanin is a protective pigment against cellular damage and skin cancer. Expansion in demand for skin whitening treatments that lower melanin levels therefore have become a worrying trend as it may compromise the skin barrier. Peltophorum pterocarpum has been used for centuries to treat skin problems due to its anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties. However, the effects of P. pterocarpum extract on melanogenesis remain to be investigated. This study is aimed to examine the melanogenesis, anti-oxidant, and cytotoxicity activities of P. pterocarpum leaves extracts. A two-dimensional (2D) cell culture model was employed to demonstrate the efficacy of aqueous and ethanol of P. pterocarpum leaves extracts in promoting melanin synthesis. In vitro and cell-based detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assays. The cytotoxicity effects of P. pterocarpum extracts were determined by [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) and Neutral Red Uptake (NRU) assays on human keratinocyte cell lines and BALB/c 3T3 mouse fibroblasts, respectively.