Synthesis, characterization and tyrosinase inhibitory properties of benzimidazole derivatives

Abstract

1-Alkylbenzimidazole and 1,3-dialkyl benzimidazolium salts were synthesized and characterized by the data of IR, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR spectra and elemental analyses. These compounds were investigated as tyrosinase inhibitors. Tyrosinase has been purified from banana by affinity chromatography on a Sepharose 4B gel conjugated with L-tyrosine-p-aminobenzoic acid. All the synthesized compounds inhibited the tyrosinase activity. Among the compounds studied, 1,4-di(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)butane was found to be the most active tyrosinase inhibitor (IC50 0.31 mM).