Nobiletin as a Tyrosinase Inhibitor from the Peel of Citrus Fruit

Abstract

A tyrosinase inhibitor was isolated from the peel of Citrus fruit by activity-guided fractionation, and identified as 3′,4′,5,6,7,8-hexamethoxyflavone (nobiletin) by comparison with reported spectral data. Nobiletin (IC₅₀ of; 46.2 μM) exhibited more potency than Kojic acid (IC₅₀; 77.4 μM) used as a positive control, and it was found to be potentially an effective inhibitor of the production of melanin.