Ruta graveolens L., also known as stinky grass, is a plant belonging to the Rutaceae family and Rutaceae genus. It is native to the Mediterranean and southwestern Asia and is planted as a herbaceous plant in gardens in central and northern China. Literature research shows that Rutin contains various chemical components, including flavonoids, alkaloids, coumarins, terpenes, and volatile oils. Recorded in the “Chinese Herbal Uyghur Medicine Volume”, “Chinese Folk Herbal Color Atlas”, “8404 Explanations of Natural Medicines”, “Chinese Ethnic Medicine Dictionary”, “Chinese Medicine Dictionary”, etc. Rut can be used to treat urinary difficulties, joint pain, ear pain, intellectual decline, paralysis, convulsions, vitiligo, and menstrual disorders. Yunxiang, also known as “Su Zhafu” in Uyghur language in Xinjiang, is commonly used as an active ingredient in folk medicine for the treatment of psoriasis, vitiligo, and other conditions. However, the specific active ingredients are not yet clear and require further in-depth research.
Reduced melanin production and destruction of melanocytes are the main causes of vitiligo, characterized by the appearance of white patches on the skin. Tyrosinase (TYR) is the main rate limiting enzyme in the melanin biosynthesis pathway, and the amount of melanin formed depends on its activity. Activation or inhibition of tyrosinase activity can regulate melanin production. Our research group found in the early stage that monomer compounds isolated from the petroleum ether fraction of Rutaceae have an activating effect on tyrosinase activity, thereby promoting the production of melanin.
This article systematically studies the chemical basis of Rutin, aiming to find active ingredients that can promote melanin production. The content of melanin and tyrosinase activity in B16 mouse melanoma cells were determined. Modern chromatographic methods were used to isolate the ethyl acetate fraction of the ethanol extract from the aerial part of Rutaceae and evaluate the effect of the compound on promoting melanin production.

 

By extracting and isolating the aboveground parts of R. graveolens, a total of 23 monomeric compounds were obtained. Compounds 1-5, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21-23 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 were terpenoids, 3-7 were coumarins, 8-12 were phenols, 13 and 14 were benzofuran glycosides, and 15-23 were flavonoids. Natural medicinal products have been widely recognized in the treatment of diseases, enriching diversified treatment plans for diseases. Due to their minimal toxic side effects, natural medicinal products may become an important supplement for treating vitiligo. Based on the traditional application of rutin in treating vitiligo through color restoration, this study investigated the effects of monomers from the ethyl acetate fraction of rutin on melanin content and tyrosinase activity, and evaluated its promotion of melanin production. The experimental results showed that the compounds separated from the ethyl acetate layer did not exhibit activity in promoting melanin production.