Abstract: Objective To study the effects of glabridin on human melanocytes and B16 murine melanoma cells. Methods After glabridin was added into the two kinds of cultured melanocytes, the cell viability, tyrosinase activity and melanin contents were measured, respectively. The effects of glabridin were compared with those of hydroquinone. Results It was shown that the effects of glabridin and hydroquinone on two kinds of cells were different. Compared with hydroquinone, glabridin had a concentration-dependent inhibition on melanogenesis and little influence on melanocyte viability. Conclusion There is a biological diversity between human melanocytes and murine melanoma cells. It is indicated that glabridin is a safe and active ingredient for depigmentation.

Key words: Melanocytes, Melanin, Monophenol monooxygenase, Glabridin