Purification of butin and butein from the Vernonia anthelmintica Willd and their effects on proliferation and melanogenesis of A375 human melanoma cells / 中国药学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To purify butin and butein from the Vernonia anthelmintica Willd, and preliminary study their effects on proliferation and melanogenesis of A375 human melanoma cells. METHODS: Selica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography methods were used to separate butin and butein; their effects on proliferation and melanogenesis of A375 human melanoma cells were studied by MTT method, enzyme method and NaOH method. RESULTS: Butin and butein were isolated and identified. In the concentration range of 0.50-10.00 μg · mL-1, butin and butein enhanced the proliferation of A375 human melanoma cells, and the effect of butein was stronger than butin(P < 0.05) ; in the concentration range of 0.10-1.00 μg · mL-1, both butin and butein increased the activity of tyrosinase; in the concentration range of 0.50-5.00 μg · mL-1, butein stimulated melanogenesis, but butin inhibited melanogenesis. CONCLUSION: Butin and butein may be the active components of Vernonia anthelmintica Willd; butein promotes the proliferation and stimulates the melanogenesis of A375 human melanoma cells, however, butin mildly inhibites the melanogenesis.