Research progress on peptides that inhibit melanin synthesis

Abstract

Melanin produced by melanocytes, primarily determines human skin color and protects against ultraviolet radiation. However, excessive melanin deposition can lead to skin conditions such as freckles, age spots, and moles, potentially causing aesthetic concerns and psychological distress. Consequently, there is significant research interest in developing safe and effective whitening products that inhibit melanin synthesis. Bioactive peptides represent a promising compound category that effectively reduces melanin synthesis with minimal side effects. This review explores melanin pigmentation, identifies sources of peptides that inhibit melanin synthesis, and elucidates the mechanisms by which these peptides operate, aiming to contribute to developing novel whitening products.

Keywords: bioactive peptides; excessive deposition; inhibition; melanin; tyrosinase; whitening.

FIGURE 1

Biosynthesis pathway of melanin in vivo.

FIGURE 2

Mechanism of inhibiting melanin synthesis by bioactive peptides.

FIGURE 3

The figure shows the molecular docking diagram of tyrosinase and peptide, where (A) is the 3D and 2D docking model of VY-9 peptide and TYR (Sangtanoo et al., 2024), (B) contains multi-angle views: different conformations of the enzyme-peptide complex (including the docking model of NYRRE, RHAKF and TYR) are at the top Skin-care functions (Deng et al., 2020). (C) is the docking model of FRAF and TYR, MITF, TYR1 and TYR2 (Bai et al., 2024).

FIGURE 4

(A) Relationship between tyrosinase inhibitory ability of peptide and its length and hydrophilicity (B). Proportion of amino acids in peptides with tyrosinase inhibitory activity.