Medicinal potential of adventitious root cultures of Hypericum perforatum: study on antioxidant stress and anti-melanogenic properties.

Background: Adventitious root (AR) culture is an effective method for the production of Hypericum perforatum raw materials. However, the ARs are seldom utilized in practical applications. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of H. perforatum ARs on antioxidative stress and anti-melanogenesis, aiming for future applications in the development of related products.

Results: In the antioxidative stress experiment, tert-butyl hydroperoxide-stimulated HepG2 cells were pre-treated with 12.5-50 μg mL of AR ethanolic extract (HpE), which significantly increased (P < 0.05) cell viability and reduced reactive oxygen species levels. In alcohol-stimulated mice, pre-treatment with HpE (2.5-10 mg kg) enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, ethanol dehydrogenase, and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, while reducing the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and triglycerides. In the anti-melanogenesis experiment, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-stimulated B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells were pre-treated with 25-100 μg mL of HpE, resulting in increased tyrosinase activity and melanin content, along with a decrease in the expression levels of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, tyrosinase-related proteins, and tyrosinase.

Conclusion: HpE efficiently protects HepG2 cells from oxidative stress and safeguards the liver in mice by mitigating oxidative damage. Additionally, HpE inhibits melanin synthesis in B16-F10 cells by suppressing tyrosinase activity. These findings suggest that H. perforatum ARs hold potential for use in the development of healthy foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products aimed at antioxidative stress and anti-melanogenesis. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.