Identifying an isoflavone from the root of Pueraria lobata as a potent tyrosinase inhibitor

Traditionally, the root of Pueraria lobata are widely used as a functional food. It was observed that a 70% ethanol extract showed a dose-dependent inhibition towards mushroom tyrosinase. Among the different isolated compounds, calycosin demonstrated potent inhibitory activity against substrates L-tyrosine and L-DOPA, with IC ₅₀ of 1.45 ± 0.03 and 7.02 ± 0.46 µM, respectively. Conversely, formononetin and daidzein exhibit weak inhibition. Moreover, kinetic studies revealed calycosin to be a competitive inhibitor for both substrates. Additionally, molecular docking simulation showed that the hydroxyl groups at C-3′ and C-7 positions interacted with the catalytic site and peripheral residues, demonstrating a higher affinity toward mushroom tyrosinase. Accordingly, our results suggest that, rather than a mono-substituted hydroxyl or methoxyl group, the presence of a hydroxyl group at C-3′ and a methoxyl group at C-4′ position of the isoflavone skeleton plays an essential role in the manifestation of anti-browning activity in food products.