Preliminary Screening for Potential Compounds in Inhibiting Enzyme Tyrosinase from 11 Herbal Extracts

Abstract

Considering the emerging trends of using natural ingredients in the cosmetic industry, this study was undertaken to confirm the efficiency of some traditional skin-whitening plants in Vietnam. In this study, 11 popular Vietnamese herbal extracts were investigated in suppressing mushroom tyrosinase activity. The most potent material was then analyzed for phytochemicals profiles and the extraction process was optimized by single-factor experiments. It was found that Morus alba leaves extract using ethanol had superior mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity. The extract under optimal conditions (extract 2 cycles with ethanol 70%, temperature: 50 ºC, time: 40 min and solid/liquid ratio = 1:10) contained polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins and tannins and its biological properties included: antityrosinase IC₅₀ = 99.4 μg/mL, antioxidation IC₅₀ (DPPH assay) = 85.7 μg/mL and total phenolic content TPC (GAE) = 128.6 mg/g extract.