Effects of Liuweidihuang Decoction on cell proliferation and melanin synthesis of cultured human melanocytes in vitro / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of Liuweidihuang Decoction on the proliferation and melanin synthesis of cultured human melanocytes in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MTT assay was used to assess the proliferation of cultured human melanocytes after treatment with Liuweidihuang Decoction, and NaOH assay was employed to determine melanin synthesis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Liuweidihuang Decoction at the concentration of 5%-15% did not affect the proliferation of the melanocytes (P>0.05), and the decoction at 20%-30% significantly inhibited the cell proliferation, especially at the optimal concentration of 30% (P<0.01). The decoction promoted melanin synthesis in the melanocytes at the concentration of 10%-15% with the optimal concentration of 15% (P<0.01) but failed to produce such an effect at 20%-30%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Liuweidihuang Decoction exert a two-way regulation on the proliferation and melanin synthesis of cultured human melanocytes in vitro.</p>