Inhibitors of Melanogenesis Related Processes: Application to Food and Cosmetic Industry

Dear Colleagues,

Melanogenesis occurs ubiquitously in microorganism, plants and all animals. The enzyme tyrosinase also known as phenoloxidase initiates this process by hydroxylating monphenols to o-diphenols and further oxidizing o-diphenols to o-quinones. O-Quinones being unstable, undergo rapid nonenzymatic as well as enzyme catalyzed transformations to eventually produce different kinds of polymeric products. Quinones in general are very reactive and tend to deplete cellular antioxidant pools as well as cause deleterious effects on cellular macromolecules. In plants, such oxidative browning reactions reduce the nutritive values thereby helping the plant to cope up with infections and invasions. Oxidative browning certainly reduces the consume ability and hence their market value. The melanosis observed in crustaceans similarly reduces the market value of sea food drastically. In arthropods and especially insects, melanogenesis is used for wound healing and defense reactions. Mammals use melanin mostly as skin, coat and eye pigments. Therefore, prevention of oxidative browning of plant products as well as sea food, alteration of skin color, and prevention and/or reduction of melanogenesis in animals has great commercial potentials. This special edition will cover a broad range of phenoloxidase/tyrosinase chemistry, biochemistry of inhibitor and ways to develop new and novel natural and synthetic bioactive compounds against melanogenesis and related process.

Prof. Dr. Manickam Sugumaran
Guest Editor