Plants from the Amazon

In humans, skin color is determined by the composition of factors such as vascularization, the amount of carotenes and, above all, the level of melanin present, which is influenced by genetic, racial and hormonal factors, as well as external factors such as ultraviolet radiation. Melanins are produced by melanocytes, which synthesize the melanosome, a complex organelle that contains melanin. Melanosomes contain several enzymes, including tyrosinase, which mediates the formation of melanin from the amino acid tyrosine. The aim of this study was to evaluate plant extracts from the Amazon region for their tyrosinase inhibitory activity in order to obtain new skin depigmenting agents to be used in cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical products.