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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Quantification of Hypopigmentation Activity In Vitro
Published on: March 6, 2019
Isolation of a Melanoblast Stimulator from Dimocarpus longan, Its Structural Modification, and Structure-Activity
Jae-Won Song1, Sunju Choi2, Gayeong Kim2
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Korea.
Abstract:
A novel melanoblast stimulator (1) was isolated from Dimocarpus longan. Its analogs were also synthesized to support a new furan-based melanoblast stimulator scaffold for treating vitiligo. Isolated 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF, 1) is a well-known compound in the food industry. Surprisingly, the melanogenic activity of HMF (1) was discovered here for the first time. Both HMF and its synthetic analog (16) promote the differentiation and migration of melanoblasts in vitro. Typically, stimulator (1) upregulated MMP2 expression, which promoted the migration of melanoblasts in vitro.
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