The effect of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) for anti-aging and whitening of skin

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of new materials from the traditional herbal medicines which induce anti-aging and anti-melanogenesis process of skin in vitro. Among 22 traditional herbal medicines which were tested in this study, Rhus vernciflua stokes (RVS) showed prominent effects for anti-aging and whitening of skin compared to other herbal extracts. In our study, RVS showed the highest elastase inhibitory effect and a higher anti-tyrosinase activity. Pretreatment with RVS significantly inhibited the expressions of UVB-induced MMP-1 protein and mRNA in a dose-dependent manner, and also inhibited the UV-induced activation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK). In whitening, it was found that RVS significantly inhibits melanin biosynthesis in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, α-MSH-induced increases of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase were significantly inhibited in B16F1 melanoma cells treated with RVS. Therefore, these data suggest that RVS extracts could be a potential agent for the prevention and treatment of skin photoaging and hyperpigmentation.