Anti-Melanogenic Activity of Undecylprodigiosin, a Red Pigment Isolated from a Marine Streptomyces sp. SNA-077

Bioassay and HPLC-UV guided fractionations of the crude extract of marine-derived Streptomyces sp.SNA-077 have led to the isolation of a red pigment, undecylprodigiosin (1).The chemical structure of undecylprodigiosin (1) was revealed by the interpretation of NMR and mass spectroscopic (MS) data.Further, anti-melanogenic effects of undecylprodigiosin (1) were investigated.First, the melanin contents of undecylprodigiosin (1)-treated B16 cells were evaluated.Furthermore, undecylprodigiosin (1) significantly inhibited the key enzymes involved in melanogenesis, including tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein-1 (TYRP-1), and dopachrome tautomerase (DCT).The mRNA and protein expression levels of Microphthalmia-associated transcriptian factor (MiTF), a critical transcription factor for tyrosinase gene expression, were also suppressed by undecylprodigiosin (1) treatment in B16 analyses.Collectively, our results suggest for the first time that undecylprodigiosin (1), a potent component isolated from an extract of marine Streptomyces sp.SNA-077, critically exerts the anti-melanogenic ability for melanin synthesis.