Slow-Binding Inhibition of Tyrosinase by Ecklonia cava Phlorotannins

Tyrosinase inhibitors improve skin whitening by inhibiting the formation of melanin precursors in the skin. The inhibitory activity of seven phlorotannins (1–7), triphlorethol A (1), eckol (2), 2-phloroeckol (3), phlorofucofuroeckol A (4), 2-O-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)-6,6⁰-bieckol (5), 6,8⁰-bieckol (6), and 8,8⁰-bieckol (7), from Ecklonia cava was tested against tyrosinase, which converts tyrosine into dihydroxyphenylalanine. Compounds 3 and 5 had IC₅₀ values of 7.0 ± 0.2 and 8.8 ± 0.1 µM, respectively, in competitive mode, with K_i values of 8.2 ± 1.1 and 5.8 ± 0.8 µM. Both compounds showed the characteristics of slow-binding inhibitors over the time course of the enzyme reaction. Compound 3 had a single-step binding mechanism and compound 5 a two-step-binding mechanism. With stable AutoDock scores of −6.59 and −6.68 kcal/mol, respectively, compounds 3 and 5 both interacted with His85 and Asn260 at the active site.