Previously , the methanolic extract of peach sees was found to have a strong tyrosinase inhibitory activity in an in vitro assay. Several phenolic compunds were isolated from the seeds by solvent fractionation , Sephadex LH-20 chromatography, and preparative HPLC , and one of them showing strong tyrosinase inhibition was identified as benzoic acid by UV, IR, H/C-NMR, and EI-MS spectrsopy. Benzoic acid (IC50 250/ml) and L-ascorbic acid (IC50=28/ml), well-known tyrosinase inhibitors. In particular , benzoic acid inhibited markedly the enzymatic browing (melanosis) of apple juices at low concentration of 0.01% and 0.05, comparable to that of L-ascorbic acid (P