β-Lactoglobulin Suppresses Melanogenesis in Cultured Human Melanocytes

The effects of whey proteins from bovine milk on melanogenesis in cultured human melanocytes were examined. Among the major protein components of milk whey including β‐lactoglobulin (BLG), α‐lactalbumin, serum albumin, and IgG, only BLG exhibited the depigmenting effect at a concentration of 1 mg/ml...

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Published in:Pigment cell research 1997-12, Vol.10 (6), p.410-413
Main Authors: NAKAJIMA, MITSUNARI, SHINODA, ICHIZO, MIKOGAMI, TAKASHI, IWAMOTO, HIROSHI, HASHIMOTO, SHIN-ICHI, MIYAUCHI, HIROFUMI, FUKUWATARI, YASUO, HAYASAWA, HIROTOSHI
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cattle
Cells, Cultured
Enzyme Activation - drug effects
Humans
Lactoglobulins - pharmacology
Melanins - biosynthesis
Melanocyte
Melanocytes - cytology
Melanocytes - drug effects
Melanocytes - enzymology
Melanocytes - metabolism
Melanogenesis
Monophenol Monooxygenase - antagonists & inhibitors
Pigmentation
Pigmentation - drug effects
Retinoic acid
Retinol
Vitamin A - pharmacology
β-lactoglobulin
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Summary:The effects of whey proteins from bovine milk on melanogenesis in cultured human melanocytes were examined. Among the major protein components of milk whey including β‐lactoglobulin (BLG), α‐lactalbumin, serum albumin, and IgG, only BLG exhibited the depigmenting effect at a concentration of 1 mg/ml. Also, BLG suppressed the activity of tyrosinase in these cells. Retinol, to which BLG is known to bind, slightly increased the pigmentation of the cells at concentrations in the range of 1–100 nM, and retinoic acid, a metabolite of retinol, exhibited a strong pigmentation‐promoting effect within the same concentration range. Treatment of the cells with 1 mg/ml BLG completely abrogated the pigmentation induced by these A vitamins. These results demonstrate a novel biological activity of BLG and suggest that this activity is dependent on its ability to bind retinol.
ISSN:0893-5785
1600-0749
DOI:10.1111/j.1600-0749.1997.tb00700.x