Abstract: Objective To study the effects of ethanol extracts from traditional Chinese herbal drugs on the proliferation of and melanogenesis in cultured B16 melanoma cells.Methods The cell proliferation of,melanogenesis and tyrosinase activity in cultured B16 cells were measured by MTT method,NaOH method and oxidative DOPA reaction,respectively.Results In the 18 tested ethanol extracts,9 gave positive Results at least in one of the three trials.As a result,Semen Astragali complanati,Radix Glycyrrhizae,Pseudobulbus Cremastrae seu Pleiones,Herba Menthae,Radix Sophorae Flavescentis,Spica Prunellae,Radix Scutellatiae,Semen Sesami Nigrum and Herba Ecliptae significantly promoted B 16 cell proliferation (P<0.05 or P<0.01);Radix Glycyrrhizae,Pseudobulbus Cremastrae seu Pleiones,Herba Menthae,Radix Sophorae Flavescentis,Spica Prunellae,Radix Polygoni Multiflori,Semen Sesami Nigrum and Herba Ecliptae significantly increased the melanogenesis in cultured B16 melanoma cells,Pseudobulbus Cremastrae seu Pleiones,Herba Menthae,Radix Sophorae Flavescentis,Spica Prunellae,Semen Sesami Nigrum and Herba Ecliptae significantly increased the activity of tyrosinase.Six ethanol extracts showed significant effects on the cell proliferation of,melanogenesis or tyrosinase activity in cultured B16 melanoma cells in all the trials (P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusions Ethanol extracts from the 6 traditional Chinese herbal drugs (Pseudobulbus Cremastrae seu Pleiones,Herba Menthae,Radix Sophorae Flavescentis,Spica Prunellae,Semen Sesami Nigrum and Herba Ecliptae) can promote the proliferation of and melanogenesis in cultured B16 cells.

Key words: Drugs,Chinese herbal, Melanoma,experimental, Cell proliferation, Monophenol monooxygenase, Melanogenesis