본 연구에서는 청미래 덩굴 뿌리 추출물의 미백효과를 확인하기 위해서 tyrosinase 저해활성 및 미백관련 인자인 MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, tyrosinase의 단백질 및 유전자 발현억제 효과를 western blot, reverse transcription-PCR 및 real time-PCR을 측정하였다. 그 결과 우수한 tyrosinase 저해활성을 확인하였고, 미백관련 인자 MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, tyrosinase 단백질 및 유전자 발현측정에서도 4가지 인자 모두 발현이 억제됨으로써 미백 효능이 있음을 확인할 수 있었다. 따라서 청미래 덩굴 뿌리 추출물이 미백 효능을 가짐으로써 화장품 소재로 응용이 가능할 것으로 판단된다.

The purpose of this study was to assess the whitening effects of an extract from Smilax china L., which is a vine shrub belonging to the lily family. With regard to the whitening effects, 70% ethanol and water extracts from Smilax china L. showed more than 77.6% and 40.2% tyrosinase inhibition at a concentration of 1,000 μl. Furthermore, the 70% ethanol extract showed cytotoxicity of 89% at a concentration of 100 μg/ ml in melanoma cells. Western blot showed that the inhibitory effect of the 70% ethanol extract on MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, and tyrosinase protein expression decreased by 89.9%, 46.2%, 57.6%, and 55.8%, respectively, at a concentration of 50 μg/ml. Moreover, reverse transcription-PCR showed that the inhibitory effect of the 70% ethanol extract on MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, and tyrosinase mRNA expression decreased by 78.5%, 58.0%, 78.8%, and 70.8%, respectively, at the same concentration of 50 μg/ml concentration. Further, realtime PCR showed that the 70% ethanol extract-induced decrease in MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, and tyrosinase quantitative mRNA expression rate was concentration-dependent. The findings suggest that the extract from Smilax china L. has great potential as a cosmetic ingredient with whitening effects.