Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives as Anti-melanogenic Agents: The Importance of a Basic Skeleton and Hydroxamic Acid Moiety

is bifunctional enzyme, which catalyzes the hydroxylation of L-tyrosine to L-dopa and enhances the oxidation of L-dopa to dopaquinone. There-fore, inhibitors of tyrosinase should be useful as therapeutic agents for the treatment of melanin hyperpigmentation. Many metal ion chelators, for example, kojic acid,