Biological Activities of Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera): More than a Skin-Lightening Agent
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript presented for review entitled: "Biological activities of paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera): More than a skin-lightening agent" is an interesting and interdisciplinary review of scientific reports on the cosmetic and medical applications of the paper mulberry. The interest in Far Eastern raw materials on many cosmetic markets makes the topic highly interesting.
The author chose an interesting, rich in numerous components plant for analysis.
However, the manuscript requires considerable corrections concerning, first of all, the structure of the manuscript, the description of the research method and the accuracy of the description of the cited research.
Abstract:
This chapter is to be the essence of the work and include an overview by: research background, review method, key results and conclusions. At the moment, the abstract and the conclusions are almost the same word for word.
The last sentence of the abstract does not apply to the cosmetic uses of the described plant. When writing a new abstract, try to make this last sentence refer to the use in cosmetic preparations and possibly future research to be carried out on this topic.
Key words:
should not duplicate the keywords present in the title of the paper, replace: biological activities with a different keyword.
Introduction:
Line 46: use a proper, systematic name: Broussonetia papyrifera (L.). For the description of other plants also use correct Latin names, taking into account the author of the botanical diagnosis. For the names of microorganisms, the first notation: use the full Latin name, each subsequent: use the abbreviation of the generic root and the full notation of the species epithet (for chapters: introduction and results).
Materials and methods
This chapter is missing. Please complete and present the method according to which the literature review was carried out. What databases were searched? Papers in which language and published in which years were analyzed? What keywords were used? Please add that the research is a narrative review.
Results
Logical analysis of the data dictates to start with the chemical composition, then to describe the available studies on biological activity and to end with information on clinical applications (in this case, cosmetic applications and human studies).
Please reformulate the manuscript so that the chapter: Results began with the presentation of the chemical composition. The table with the composition is currently difficult to interpret from a practical point of view: block the chemical compositions for individual pharmacognostic raw materials: leaf, bark, root, etc.
Then provide a description of the biological activities. However, present the current chapters 5.7-5.11 in the form of a table. What action, what pharmacognostic raw material, what active ingredients, references.
After descriptions of research on biological activities, insert the current chapter: 2. This chapter, however, requires a thorough overhaul. Describe in detail the studies that were carried out, what tools were used to assess the clinical effects? How large were the study groups? Have placebo controls been used? What conclusions did the authors draw? What has not yet been explored?
End the Results chapter with the description of research on the safety of the raw materials. Check for toxicological data on the plant and its active ingredients.
In the section on antiviral activity, make sure you use the name of the virus, the disease it causes, and the virus family correctly.
Conclusions
Currently, this chapter is a hybrid between abstract and conclusions. And it cannot be properly placed here or there. Please indicate the most important information about the tested plant, what are its strengths for the cosmetics industry? Indicate what has not been researched yet and what are the prospects for the near future.
References
In several places, the record seems to be inconsistent with the principles of citing source literature, e.g. items: 8,15,16,18,19, 34 and others where you use the full name of the scientific journal.
Author Response
Comment 1: Abstract:
This chapter is to be the essence of the work and include an overview by: research background, review method, key results and conclusions. At the moment, the abstract and the conclusions are almost the same word for word.
The last sentence of the abstract does not apply to the cosmetic uses of the described plant. When writing a new abstract, try to make this last sentence refer to the use in cosmetic preparations and possibly future research to be carried out on this topic.
Response: Thank you for helpful comments and constructive suggestions on the manuscript. I have modified the abstract as you suggested.
Comment 2: Key words:
should not duplicate the keywords present in the title of the paper, replace: biological activities with a different keyword.
Response: Thank you for helpful comments. I have replaced the keyword as you suggested.
Comment 3: Introduction:
Line 46: use a proper, systematic name: Broussonetia papyrifera (L.). For the description of other plants also use correct Latin names, taking into account the author of the botanical diagnosis. For the names of microorganisms, the first notation: use the full Latin name, each subsequent: use the abbreviation of the generic root and the full notation of the species epithet (for chapters: introduction and results).
Response: Thank you for helpful comments. I have corrected this issue.
Comment 4: Materials and methods
This chapter is missing. Please complete and present the method according to which the literature review was carried out. What databases were searched? Papers in which language and published in which years were analyzed? What keywords were used? Please add that the research is a narrative review.
Response: Thank you for constructive advice. I have added the Materials and methods part in the manuscript.
Comment 5: Results
Logical analysis of the data dictates to start with the chemical composition, then to describe the available studies on biological activity and to end with information on clinical applications (in this case, cosmetic applications and human studies).
Please reformulate the manuscript so that the chapter: Results began with the presentation of the chemical composition. The table with the composition is currently difficult to interpret from a practical point of view: block the chemical compositions for individual pharmacognostic raw materials: leaf, bark, root, etc.
Then provide a description of the biological activities. However, present the current chapters 5.7-5.11 in the form of a table. What action, what pharmacognostic raw material, what active ingredients, references.
After descriptions of research on biological activities, insert the current chapter: 2. This chapter, however, requires a thorough overhaul. Describe in detail the studies that were carried out, what tools were used to assess the clinical effects? How large were the study groups? Have placebo controls been used? What conclusions did the authors draw? What has not yet been explored?
End the Results chapter with the description of research on the safety of the raw materials. Check for toxicological data on the plant and its active ingredients.
In the section on antiviral activity, make sure you use the name of the virus, the disease it causes, and the virus family correctly.
Response: Thank you for constructive comment. I have modified to improve the logical flow of the manuscript as you suggested.
Comment 6: Conclusions
Currently, this chapter is a hybrid between abstract and conclusions. And it cannot be properly placed here or there. Please indicate the most important information about the tested plant, what are its strengths for the cosmetics industry? Indicate what has not been researched yet and what are the prospects for the near future.
Response: Thank you for constructive comments. I have modified the Conclusion as you mentioned.
Comment 7: References
In several places, the record seems to be inconsistent with the principles of citing source literature, e.g. items: 8,15,16,18,19, 34 and others where you use the full name of the scientific journal.
Response: Thank you for helpful comment. I have corrected the references. However, some references are patents, which resulted in different style with journal articles.
Reviewer 2 Report
This is a timely review, which, however, requires revisions.
The introductory part on mechanisms regulation melanogenesis requires corrections.
Specifically, as relates to tyrosinase the chosen references are random and not representative. For tyrosine hydroxylase and dopa oxidase activities of tyrosinase please cite original paper from Pawelek group. In fact tyrosinase catalyzes also the third reaction in melanogenic sequence (see Pawelek's original work).
Cite original papers for TRP1 and TRP2.
Note, that from dopaquinone stage melanogenesis can progress without enzymes with velocity of reactions regulated by metal cations and pH.
The readers would also appreciate short information on different hormonal and nutritional (precursors to melanin) mechanism regulating melanin pigmentation (Physiol Rev 84, 1155-1228, 2004; Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 25, 14-27, 2012).
Mention diverse regulatory properties of melanin pigment: Frontiers in Oncology 2022;12. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.842496
Provide chemical structures of families of compounds listed in the table that are biologically active.
Be critical of data on mushroom tyrosinase. Relevant are only data on human tyrosinase or normal human melanocytes.
Discuss problem of ultraviolet radiation (Endocrinology 159(5), 1992-2007, 2018), since inhibition of melanogenesis may increase the skin vulnerability to the damage.
Increase number of citations, it is too limited for expert review and cite original papers.
Author Response
Comment 1: The introductory part on mechanisms regulation melanogenesis requires corrections.
Specifically, as relates to tyrosinase the chosen references are random and not representative. For tyrosine hydroxylase and dopa oxidase activities of tyrosinase please cite original paper from Pawelek group. In fact tyrosinase catalyzes also the third reaction in melanogenic sequence (see Pawelek's original work).
Cite original papers for TRP1 and TRP2.
Note, that from dopaquinone stage melanogenesis can progress without enzymes with velocity of reactions regulated by metal cations and pH.
The readers would also appreciate short information on different hormonal and nutritional (precursors to melanin) mechanism regulating melanin pigmentation (Physiol Rev 84, 1155-1228, 2004; Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 25, 14-27, 2012).
Mention diverse regulatory properties of melanin pigment: Frontiers in Oncology 2022;12. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.842496
Response: Thank you for constructive comments. I have modified and added the related references as you suggested.
Comment 2: Provide chemical structures of families of compounds listed in the table that are biologically active.
Response: Thank you for your advice. I have added the chemical structures of compounds as you suggested.
Comment 3: Be critical of data on mushroom tyrosinase. Relevant are only data on human tyrosinase or normal human melanocytes.
Response: Thank you for your advice. However, all published articles about anti-tyrosinase effect of paper mulberry were the inhibitory effect against mushroom tyrosinase, not on human tyrosinase or normal human melanocytes.
Comment 4: Discuss problem of ultraviolet radiation (Endocrinology 159(5), 1992-2007, 2018), since inhibition of melanogenesis may increase the skin vulnerability to the damage.
Response: Thank you for your comment. I have added the discussion and this reference in the manuscript.
Comment 5: Increase number of citations, it is too limited for expert review and cite original papers.
Response: Thank you for your comment. I have cited the additional references in the manuscript.
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Thank you very much for the next opportunity to review the manuscript: Biological activities of paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera): More than a skin-lightening agent. The manuscript in its current form is extremely long and the amendments made do not always correspond to the changes I requested in the first review of this paper.
Abstract:
Again, please divide this chapter into separate paragraphs on background, method, review results and conclusions. Please correct the typos: an-ti-inftammatory (and similar).
Introduction:
line 28: please remove the link and indicate it as the cited source.
line: 38: phenol oxidase is not a substitute name for tyrosinase
Materials and methods:
The last sentence: indicate whether only research papers or also reviews and case reports were accepted for the analysis. Indicate whether only papers in English or other languages were analyzed.
Add: Chapter 3: Results. And the subsequent chapters in the results should to be shown as subsequent subsections, e.g. 3.1 Chemical composition, etc.
Table 1 in its present form is unacceptable. As in the first review, again I would like to ask you to present in this table what active ingredients are in the leaf, what in the root, etc. Showing the formulas is completely unnecessary. Currently, such data can easily be found in chemical databases. However, if the author insists on showing the formulas, they should be unified (prepared in one computer program for drawing chemical formulas) and shown in the supplementary materials to this article, not in the main manuscript.
Chapter: reference needs to be completed (DOI).
The rest of the elements are correct and, in my opinion, do not require any corrections anymore.
Author Response
Comment 1: Abstract:
Again, please divide this chapter into separate paragraphs on background, method, review results and conclusions. Please correct the typos: an-ti-inftammatory (and similar).
Response: Thank you for helpful comments. I have modified the abstract as you suggested.
Comment 2: Introduction:
line 28: please remove the link and indicate it as the cited source.
line: 38: phenol oxidase is not a substitute name for tyrosinase
Response: Thank you for helpful advice. I have made changes as you suggested.
Comment 3: Materials and methods:
The last sentence: indicate whether only research papers or also reviews and case reports were accepted for the analysis. Indicate whether only papers in English or other languages were analyzed.
Response: Thank you for helpful advice. I have modified as you suggested.
Comment 4: Add: Chapter 3: Results. And the subsequent chapters in the results should to be shown as subsequent subsections, e.g. 3.1 Chemical composition, etc.
Table 1 in its present form is unacceptable. As in the first review, again I would like to ask you to present in this table what active ingredients are in the leaf, what in the root, etc. Showing the formulas is completely unnecessary. Currently, such data can easily be found in chemical databases. However, if the author insists on showing the formulas, they should be unified (prepared in one computer program for drawing chemical formulas) and shown in the supplementary materials to this article, not in the main manuscript.
Response: Thank you for helpful comment. I have modified and put the chemical structures of compounds as supplementary materials as you suggested.
Comment 5: Chapter: reference needs to be completed (DOI).
Response: Thank you for helpful advice. I have modified as you suggested.
Reviewer 2 Report
The authors were responsive to the critique and adequately revised the manuscript. There are typos in the text, especially in reference section, but these can be corrected at the proofs stage
Author Response
Comment: The authors were responsive to the critique and adequately revised the manuscript. There are typos in the text, especially in reference section, but these can be corrected at the proofs stage.
Response: Thank you for helpful comments and constructive suggestions on the manuscript. I have corrected typos as you mentioned.
