4-HEXYLRESORCINOL, A POTENT INHIBITOR OF MUSHROOM TYROSINASE

4-hexylresorcinol (4HR) was a potent inhibitor of mushroom tyrosinase in crude extracts, causing 90% loss of activity at 100 muM. The concentration of 4HR needed to cause 50% inhibition (I50) was almost-equal-to 5 muM. Partially purified tyrosinase was inhibited by lower concentrations of 4HR and was characterized with an I50 of almost-equal-to 1 muM. Electrophoretic analysis, coupled with isoenzyme staining in the presence and absence of 4HR, showed inhibition of tyrosinase isoforms but not of laccase isoforms.