MELANOGENESIS INHIBITOR AND SKIN COSMETIC

PURPOSE: To obtain a melanogenesis inhibitor containing, as active ingredient, echinomycin. CONSTITUTION: This melanogenesis inhibitor contains, as active ingredient, echinomycin, a kind of quinoxaline-based antibiotic. This inhibitor is prepared by conventional method after addition of desired ingredients other than the echinomycin. The other objective skin cosmetic intended for skin whitening effect can be prepared by incorporating a cosmetic base with 10 -10 wt.% of echinomycin. The echinomycin has been discovered from Streptomyces echinatus, and can be obtained by purification and isolation from a culture extract of Actinomyces with the melanogenesis inhibitory activity in B16 mouse melanoma cells serving as indicator; or the echinomycin to be used may be commercially available. This skin cosmetic can be prepared in the form of cream, milky lotion, face lotion, foundation, pack, lotion, get, solution, stick, etc.