Abstract
Tyrosinase is known to accelerate the melanin polymer biosynthesis in melanocyte, so tyrosinase inhibitors hinder the melanin polymer biosynthesis and are useful not only for th e material used in cosmetics as skin-whitening agents but also as the remedy for disturbances in pigmentation. During our search for new melanin biosynthesis inhibitors from natural sources, 130 higher plants were tested for the inhibitory effect against tyrosinase activity by the mushroom tyrosinase assay. Among them, Carex humilis ($IC_{50}$, 10vg/ml), Sophora flavescence ($IC_{50},\;20{\sim}50{mu}g/ml$) and Styrax japonica ($IC_{50},\;10{\mu}g/ml$) inhibited the tyrosinase activity strongly.
