为探索金线莲中对黑色素形成具有抑制效果的活性组分,本研究对金线莲进行分离、提取,获得总提组、醇沉组与醇提组,利用斑马鱼筛选金线莲具有美白作用的活性组分。将受精后0.75 h的斑马鱼胚胎分别暴露于不同浓度的金线莲总提组、醇沉组、醇提组,72 h时观察结果表明,金线莲醇提物能有效抑制斑马鱼胚胎黑色素和黄色素沉着,浓度越高抑制效果越明显,且不影响胚胎生长发育。进一步采用半定量PCR和整胚原位杂交技术定量和定性地检测黑色素形成相关基因mRNA表达,结果表明金线莲醇提物可以有效降低silv、tyr和tyrp1a等黑色素合成相关基因的转录水平,且具有浓度依赖关系。通过检测酪氨酸酶活性显示,加入醇提物的实验组其酪氨酸酶活性随着处理浓度升高而逐渐降低。此外,在黑色素已经大量形成的情况下,金线莲醇提物仍可通过下调黑色素合成相关基因的mRNA表达及酪氨酸酶活性来抑制黑色素的形成,并且这种抑制效果可在金线莲醇提物撤除后得到恢复。上述实验结果表明,金线莲醇提物能显著抑制斑马鱼黑色素的形成,本文为金线莲在美白产品领域的开发和应用方面提供了有力支撑。

The aim of this study is to explore the active components of Anoectochilus roxburghii capable of inhibiting melanin formation using chemical separation and extraction and functional analysis. Anoectochilus roxburghii were extracted with alcohol and separated into three groups: the total extraction group, alcohol extracted group and alcohol precipitated group. Zebrafish embryos at 0.75 h post-fertilization were exposed to various concentrations of the three groups of extracts, and analyzed at 72 h, using semi-quantitative RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. The results showed that the alcohol extracts inhibit melanogenesis most significantly in the zebrafish embryos. The mRNAs of melanin-related genes, such as silv, tyr, tyrp1a, were down-regulated by the alcohol extracts spatially and temporally. The alcohol extracts also inhibited the activity of tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanogenesis, in a dosage dependent manner. In addition, the alcohol extracts also display a remarkable inhibitory effect on melanin synthesis through down-regulation of mRNAs of melanin-related genes and tyrosinase activity in zebrafish embryos, in which a large amount of melanin has already been synthesized. Such inhibitory effect could be reversed after the withdrawal of the alcohol extracts. Our results showed that the alcohol extracts of Anoectochilus roxburghii can significantly inhibit zebrafish melanogenesis, supporting the notion that Anoectochilus roxburghii could potentially be used in the development and production of natural whitening products.