Abstract

The methanol, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether crude extracts of mangosteen pericarp and α- mangostin were evaluated for the antioxidant capacity and tyrosinase inhibition properties. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was used to investigate their antioxidant capacity. Tyrosinase inhibition effect was evaluated using mushroom tyrosinase inhibition assay. Methanol extract has higher antioxidant reducing capacity (m= 1.621), compared to the rest of the extracts. Meanwhile, ethyl acetate extract and α- mangostin showed potent tyrosinase inhibition activities as compared to Kojic acid, a well- known tyrosinase inhibitor. It is observed that tyrosinase inhibition effect is antioxidant independent as ethyl acetate extract possessed low antioxidant capacity. This study suggests direct tyrosinase inhibition by ethyl acetate extract of Garcinia mangostana.

Key words: Garcinia mangostana Linn.; α-mangostin; xanthone; antioxidant; tyrosinase inhibition.