Tyrosinase inhibitors from cumin

Cuminaldehyde (p-isopropylbenzaldehyde) was identified as a potent mushroom tyrosinase inhibitor from cumin, a common food spice. This benzaldehyde de rivative was found to inhibit the oxidation of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) by mushroom tyrosinase with an ID50 of 7.7 mu g/mL (0.05 mM). Its oxidized analogue, cumic acid (p-isopropylbenzoic acid), was also characte rized to inhibit this oxidation with an ID50 of 43 mu g/mL (0.26 mM). These two inhibitors affect mushroom tyrosinase activity in different ways.