Chalcone-Based Tyrosinase Inhibitors: Discovery of Potent Antibrowning Agents for Food Preservation

Enzymatic browning is a major cause of quality deterioration in food during processing and storage, primarily driven by melanin formation. Targeting the critical role of tyrosinase in this process, we designed a series of chalcone analogues as potential tyrosinase inhibitors. Through systematic screening in vitro, two highly potent compounds 3 and 12 were identified with IC₅₀ value of 0.49 and 0.19 μM respectively. Mechanistic studies revealed that 3 acts as a competitive inhibitor, while 12 exhibits mixed-type inhibition. Cytotoxicity assessments and zebrafish toxicity experiments demonstrated that both compounds possess superior safety profiles compared to commercial tyrosinase inhibitor kojic acid. Furthermore, food preservation experiments confirmed their significant efficacy in suppressing browning. This study presents the development of novel tyrosinase regulators with promising applications in food preservation, offering enhanced antibrowning effects to improve food quality.