As people get older, marks on facial skin can develop and become evident. This is caused by the overproduction of melanin. Hence, topicals to regulate melanogenesis are being produced. Some of the cosmetic depigmentation agents being used are hydroquinone which is a tyrosinase inhibitor (1) and arbutin (2) which is bearberry leaf derived. However, consumers are also looking for natural medications to treat pigmentation concerns. For this reason, researchers investigate natural substances such as Ylang-ylang.
Some articles are recommending Ylang ylang oil (Cananga odorata) as a treatment for melanogenesis and present research to support this claim. To learn about effective oils, research including the ones mentioned in articles is read to understand what research confirms as the remedy for pigmentation concerns.
While reading the research, I observed that methanolic and aqueous extracts were mentioned to refer to the solution used for investigation. It is important to note that methanol and aqua are different from oils. Ergo, Two papers are consulted to know which solution is verified to be a remedy for melanogenesis. One is a 2014 in-vitro investigation and the other is a 2015 review. What does the research say? Read more to know more.
Cananga odorata Methanolic Extract
1. Ylang-ylang flower buds
Methanolic extracts can be made using flower buds of ylang-ylang.
a. Effect on melanoma cells
Ylang-ylang’s flower buds’ methanolic extract is claimed to be effective in regulating melanin overproduction because it yielded an inhibitory effect on theophylline-stimulated murine B16 melanoma 4A5 cells (1, 2)
b. Compounds
Chemical compounds that were found to inhibit melanogenesis are compound 5 which is canangaterpene I, and compound 12 which is (3R,3aR,8aS)-3-isopropyl-8a-methyl-8-oxo-1,2,3,3a, 6,7,8,8a-octa hydro azulene-5-carbaldehyde. The chemical compounds do not induce any cytotoxicity in melanoma cells. (1, 2) Moreover, the two compounds have more melanogenesis-inhibiting potency than arbutin. (1)
c. lignans
Another reason why methanolic extracts have the potential to inhibit melanogenesis is that it has lignans with catechol moiety but does not have glucosyl moieties. (1)
2. Ylang-ylang seed methanolic extract
Methanolic extract Can also be produced using its seeds
Enzyme
N-trans-feruloyltyramine suppresses melanogenesis. It strongly inhibits an enzyme used in melanin biosynthesis called tyrosinase protein (1)
Cananga odorata aqueous extract
Meanwhile, ylang-ylang’s aqueous extract does not affect dopachrome formation and, hence does not influence antityrosinase activity, thus ineffective in inhibiting melanogenesis. (1)
The research presented above shows the efficacy of Cananga odorata as a treatment for melanogenesis. However, more research articles are needed to confirm if the solution agent is the oil or extract.
Confirm the efficacy of remedies
Reference:
- Tan L.T. H, Lee L. H., Yin W.F., Chan C.K., Kadir H.A., Chan K.G., Goh B.H. Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Bioactivities of Cananga odorata (Ylang-Ylang). Hindawi Publishing Corporation. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015. Article ID 896314, 23-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/896314 )
- Matsumoto, T., Nakamura, S., Nakashima, S., Fujimoto, K., Yoshikawa, M., Ohta, T., Ogawa, K., & Matsuda, H. (2014). Lignan dicarboxylates and terpenoids from the flower buds of Cananga odorata and their inhibitory effects on melanogenesis. Journal of natural products, 77(4), 990–999. https://doi.org/10.1021/np401091f
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