Synthesis and evaluation of the antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities of thiazolyl hydrazone derivatives and their application in the anti-browning of fresh-cut potato

Tyrosinase is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of melanin, which is responsible for the browning of foods as well as many skin disorders. In order to develop new anti-browning agents with dual antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase capacities, a series of 30 thiazolyl hydrazone derivatives were synthesized. Among the molecules prepared, 6 and 30 were found to be the most potent tyrosinase inhibitors with IC50 values comparable to that of kojic acid. Interestingly, 6 also has the highest radical scavenging activity among the prepared molecules. The inhibition kinetics study indicated that 6 is a non-competitive inhibitor while 30 inhibits tyrosinase competitively. The anti -browning assay of fresh-cut potato slices revealed that 6 and 30 are potent anti-browning agents with a capacity as high as kojic acid. The mechanisms of free radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibition have been fully investigated in silico using computational kinetics, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations.