Inhibitory Effects of Saussurea involucrata Against Melanogenesis of Mouse-Derived Melanocyte Cells.

Extracts and fractions from the aerial parts of herbal materials of Saussurea involucrata Kar et Kir ex Maxim (Compositae) were investigated for their whitening activity against mouse-derived immortalized melanocyte cell line. The extract of wild herbs (FS2) possessed a better inhibition (28.2% growth) against melanin cells than that (46.7%) of cultivated herbs (FS1). The whole extracts and middle-polar partitioning fraction show the inhibitory effects, whereas the water-soluble parts show a poor activity in the same assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]