Evaluation of anti-pigmentary effect of synthetic sulfonylamino chalcone.

The 4'-(p-toluenesulfonylamino)-4-hydroxychalcone (TSAHC), which bears inhibitory chemotypes for both alpha-glucosidase and tyrosinase, was evaluated for tyrosinase activity and depigmenting ability relative to compounds designed to only target tyrosianse activity. TSAHC emerged to be a competitive reversible inhibitor of mushroom tyrosinase. More importantly, it was also able to return the melanin content of alpha-melanocyte stimulated by alpha-MSH to base levels unlike other inhibitors that only targeted tyrosinase. The Western blot for expression levels of proteins involved in melanogenesis showed that TSAHC significantly decreased three main tyrosinase related protein in melanin biosynthesis, tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2.