Purification and characteristics of tyrosinase inhibitor produced by actinomycetes F-97

An actinomycetes F-97 producing tyrosinase inhibitor was isolated from soil samples. Isolation and purification of tyrosinase inhibitor produced by F-97 was performed as follows: IRC-120 ( type) column chromatography, silica gel column chromatography, column chromatography and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography were used successively after the centrifuged supernatant was adjusted to pH 4.0. To identify the purity of the inhibitor, octadecylsilyl(ODS) HPLC was carried out with 5% methanol as a mobile phase. Finally, the purification yield of a tyrosinase inhibitor was 5.24%. The inhibitor was very soluble in water, methanol and ethanol but insoluble in acetone, butanol, ethylacetate and chloroform. The value of this inhibitor in water was 194nm under UV light. The biochemical test of the inhibitor was positive in Molish, Benedict, cone. , and tests but negative in iodine, ninhydrin, Million, Sakaguchi, xanthoproteic and Emerson tests. The tyrosinase inhibitor was stable against heat treatment of for 50 minutes and pH . The value of this inhibitor was for mushroom tyrosinase. In inhibitor concentration, inhibition zone was 27 mm for Streptomyces bikiniensis NRRL B-1049. The inhibition of F-97 against mushroom tyrosinase was competitive with tyrosine.