Isolation of 1',3'-dilinolenoyl'-2'-linoleoylglycerol with tyrosinase inhibitory activity from Flammulina velutipes.

This study was carried out to evaluate the inhibitory effect of Flammulina velutipes extracts on tyrosinase activity and to identify its biologically active component. The ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts showed potent tyrosinase inhibitory activities. Subsequently, fractions of the nbutanol extract showed only a partial tyrosinase inhibitory activity. The most active compound of tyrosinase inhibitory activity was identified from the ethyl acetate extract as 1',3'-dilinolenoyl-2'-linoleoylglycerol (LnLLn) by comparing its mass, 1H-, and 13C-NMR spectral data with those previously reported in the literature. LnLLn showed tyrosinase inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 16.1 mug/ml. These results suggest that the ethyl acetate extract of F. velutipes could be applicable for the development of a new whitening agent.