Anti-melanogenesis activity of 6-O-isobutyrylbritannilactone from inula britannica on B16F10 melanocytes and in vivo zebrafish models

A potential natural melanogenesis inhibitor was discovered in the form of a sesquiterpene isolated from the flowers of Inula britannica, specifically 6-O-isobutyrylbritannilactone (IBL). We evaluated the antimelanogenesis effects of IBL on B16F10 melanocytes and zebrafish embryos. As a result, we found that 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX)-induced melanin production was reduced in a dose-dependent manner in B16F10 cells by IBL. We also analyzed B16F10 cells that were and were not treated with IBMX, investigating the melanin concentration, tyrosinase activity, mRNA levels. We also studied the protein expressions of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, and tyrosinase-related proteins (TRP1, and TRP2). Furthermore, we found that melanin synthesis and tyrosinase expression were also inhibited by IBL through the modulation of the following signaling pathways: ERK, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, and CREB. In addition, we studied antimelanogenic activity using zebrafish embryos and found that the embryos had significantly reduced pigmentation in the IBL-treated specimens compared to the untreated controls.