Anacardic acids, 2-methylcardols, and cardols isolated from various pa
rts of the cashew [Anacardium occidentale] (Anacardiaceae) fruit have
been found to exhibit tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Kinetic studies
with the two principal active compounds, 6-[8(Z),11(Z),14-pentadecatri
enyl]salicylic acid and 5-[8(Z),11(Z),14-pentadecatrienyl]resorcinol,
have indicated that both of these phenolic compounds exhibit character
istic competitive inhibition of the oxidation of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl
alanine (L-DOPA) by mushroom tyrosinase.