Ganoderma lucidum, a species of the class Basidiomycetes, attracts international attention due to the wide variety of its biological activities and great potential as cosmetic ingredient, such as skin care cosmetics including ‘skin-whitening’. However, there is little information available regarding the tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to investigate the chemical composition and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the G. lucidum. To isolate active single compound from G. lucidum (GASC), we conducted ethanol extraction and chloroform fractionation. In addition, we assayed the inhibitoty effect of tyrosinase activity and melanin biosynthesis in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. In the present study, we identified a GASC, which exhibited inhibitory effects of cellular tyrosinase activity, the protein expression of cellular tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1, 2. In additional, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), as known as crucial regulator of melanogenesis-related genes, was down-regulated by treatment with GASC in a concentration-dependent manner. GASC exhibited significant inhibition of tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis in B16F10. The finding that melanogenesis inhibitory effect of GASC will contribute to facilitate various approaches of this mushroom for use in skin whitening products.

• Ji-Woong Kim(Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea)
• Jong-Hyeon Kim(Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea)
• Hong-Il Kim(Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea)
• O-Chul Kwon(Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea)
• Chang-Soo Lee(Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea)
• Young-Jin Park(Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea)