Essential oils bearing specialized metabolites with potential tyrosinase inhibitory activity

Tyrosinase downregulation is a very widespread approach to reduce excessive melanin production, which is responsible for serious dermatological conditions as well as minor aesthetic problems (i.e., freckles and solar lentigo) [1]. Plants have been valuable sources of skin-whitening agents. To date, phenolic compounds have principally been studied while terpenoids have been relatively under-investigated as anti-tyrosinase agents [2]. This study explores the mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activities of seventy-one essential oils which are complex mixtures of specialized volatile metabolites mainly including terpenoids. The investigated EOs have been subjected to in vitro enzymatic assay with Kojic acid used as positive control. Mushroom tyrosinase from Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Lange) was selected for this study. The chemical composition of the investigated EOs was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Among the investigated essential oils, the most promising ones were the EOs obtained by steam distillation from the leaves and flowers of Citrus×aurantium L (i.e. Neroli and Petitgrain EOs), citral containing EOs (i.e. Cymbopogon shoenanthus Spreng (L.), Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers, Melissa officinalis L. and Verbena officinalis L.), and β-myrcene containing EOs (i.e. Juniperus communis L. and Pinus mugo Turra EOs). Further studies are currently being carried out to comprehensively characterize all the EOs bioactive compounds and the potential antagonist/additive synergistic interactions responsible for the investigated biological activity of the EOs.

The authors declare no conflict of interest

• References

• 1 Desmedt et at. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2014, 90, 85–91, doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2013.11.024.
• 2 Kanlayavattanakul et al. Planta Med. 2018, 84, 988–1006, doi:10.1055/a-0583-0410.

Publication History

Article published online:
13 December 2021