Home Ingredients Melagenol® (Oral Skin-Tone Botanical)
Hair, Skin & Nails

Melagenol® (Oral Skin-Tone Botanical)

Evidence Level
Preliminary
0 Clinical Trials
3 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Melagenol® is an oral nutricosmetic botanical standardized for verbascoside and arbutin, positioned to help maintain an even skin tone and reduce the appearance of dark spots and discoloration. Its actives inhibit melanin production when applied directly to pigment cells in the laboratory. There is no human trial of the oral ingredient, and no evidence that swallowing it delivers the actives to skin at active levels.

Studied Dose 300 to 500 mg per day of the extract, per the Monteloeder supplier specification. No dose has been tested in a published human trial.
Active Compound Botanical extract standardized for verbascoside (more than 15%) and arbutin (more than 10%).

Benefits

Even skin tone

Melagenol is sold to help maintain an even skin tone and reduce the appearance of dark spots. This use rests on cell studies of its actives and has not been tested in people who took the capsule.

Antioxidant skin support

Verbascoside is an antioxidant in laboratory tests. Whether an oral dose reduces oxidative stress in human skin has not been measured.

Limited-evidence note

The actives have a clear mechanism, but dedicated published clinical data for this specific oral ingredient are limited.

Mechanism of action

1

Tyrosinase inhibition

In cultured pigment cells, verbascoside inhibits tyrosinase, the enzyme that drives melanin synthesis; arbutin is a known tyrosinase inhibitor in laboratory tests. This has not been shown after an oral dose in people.

2

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action

In laboratory assays verbascoside lowers oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators that can stimulate melanin production. This has not been confirmed in people.

Clinical trials

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well-tolerated.
Mild digestive upset is occasionally reported. Arbutin is broken down in the body to hydroquinone, a skin-lightening compound that is restricted in cosmetics in the EU and several other jurisdictions; the long-term safety of repeated oral arbutin intake has not been established.
Use sun protection, since even skin tone also depends on UV exposure.

Important Drug interactions

No major drug interactions are established for this ingredient.
Tell your doctor about all supplements if you take prescription medication.
Use caution if pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing a health condition.

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Frequently asked questions about Melagenol® (Oral Skin-Tone Botanical)

What is Melagenol?

Melagenol® is an oral nutricosmetic botanical standardized for verbascoside and arbutin, positioned to help maintain an even skin tone and reduce the appearance of dark spots and discoloration. Its actives inhibit melanin production when applied directly to pigment cells in the laboratory.

What is Melagenol used for?

Melagenol is researched primarily for Hair, Skin & Nails. Melagenol is sold to help maintain an even skin tone and reduce the appearance of dark spots. This use rests on cell studies of its actives and has not been tested in people who took the capsule.

What is the recommended dosage of Melagenol?

The clinically studied dose is 300 to 500 mg per day of the extract, per the Monteloeder supplier specification. No dose has been tested in a published human trial. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Melagenol safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Melagenol include: Generally well-tolerated. Mild digestive upset is occasionally reported. Arbutin is broken down in the body to hydroquinone, a skin-lightening compound that is restricted in cosmetics in the EU and several other jurisdictions; the long-term safety of repeated oral arbutin intake… It may also interact with some medications. Melagenol is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Melagenol interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: No major drug interactions are established for this ingredient. Tell your doctor about all supplements if you take prescription medication. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Melagenol?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Melagenol as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 2 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(2 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Son YO, Lee SA, Kim SS, Jang YS, Chun JC, Lee JC Acteoside inhibits melanogenesis in B16F10 cells through ERK activation and tyrosinase down-regulation Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 2011;63(10):1309-19. doi:10.1111/j.2042-7158.2011.01335.x.PubMedUsed to support: Acteoside (verbascoside) inhibited melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in cultured B16F10 mouse melanoma cells and cell-free assays, lowering tyrosinase/TRP-1/MITF via ERK activation.
  2. Song HS, Sim SS Acteoside inhibits alpha-MSH-induced melanin production in B16 melanoma cells by inactivation of adenyl cyclase Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 2009;61(10):1347-51. doi:10.1211/jpp/61.10.0011.PubMedUsed to support: Acteoside dose-dependently inhibited alpha-MSH-induced melanin production and cellular tyrosinase activity in B16 melanoma cells and showed antioxidant activity in a cell-free DPPH assay.