Hot water extract of Glehnia littoralis leaf showed skin-whitening and anti-wrinkle properties

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Glehnia littoralis (Umbelliferae) is a commonly used traditional medicine to treat the immune-related diseases in Korea, China, and Japan. Aim of the study: This study was designed to investigate the elastase and tyrosinase inhibitory potentials of hot water extracts of G. littoralis leaves. Materials and methods: An MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay was conducted to measure the cytotoxicity of the extract on the HS68 and B16F10 cell lines. An ultraviolet (UV) irradiation protection effect on HS68 cells of the extract was also examined. The elastase and tyrosinase inhibition assays were conducted to determine anti-wrinkle and skin-whitening potentials of the plant extract. Results: The hot water extracts of G. littoralis leaves were nontoxic to two cell lines, HS68 and B16F10. Less than 10% cell death of the two cell lines and remarkable effect of the leaf extracts on UV irradiation protection of HS68 cells indicated noncytotoxic properties of G. littoralis leaves. The leaf extracts were found to have considerable tyrosinase and elastase inhibition potential, demonstrating skin whitening and anti-wrinkle properties, relative to ascorbic (250 μg/mL) and ursolic (250 μg/mL) acids. Conclusions: Findings of this study revealed that G. littoralis leaves could be used in the preparation of cosmetic products for skin whitening and anti-wrinkle applications.