TY  - EJOU
AU  - El-Nashar, Heba A. S. 
AU  - Negmeldin, Ahmed T. 
AU  - Baz, Aziza El 
AU  - Cuyler, Marizé 
AU  - Alston, Brandon 
AU  - Lall, Namrita 
AU  - Ashmawy, Naglaa S. 

TI  - GC-MS Analysis and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Potential of <i>Pimenta dioica</i> Flower Essential Oil
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2025
VL  - 94
IS  - 10
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - <i>Pimenta dioica</i> is a tropical Caribbean tree belonging to the family Myrtaceae, widely used in various human activities, including perfume production, food flavoring, natural pesticides, and medicine. This study aimed to explore the chemical composition of <i>Pimenta dioica</i> flower essential oil obtained via hydrodistillation using GC-MS analysis. Additionally, the oil’s tyrosinase inhibitory activity was investigated. The effectiveness of the oil’s major constituents in binding to tyrosinase was also evaluated through molecular docking simulations. GC-MS analysis identified fifteen compounds, with eugenol (70.59%) as the major component, followed by β-myrcene (10.54%), limonene (8.55%), β-ocimene (4.92%), α-phellandrene (1.39%), and linalool (1.46%). The oil exhibited tyrosinase inhibitory activity with an IC<sub>50</sub> value of 28.65 ± 0.77 μg/mL, compared to kojic acid (IC<sub>50</sub> = 1.94 ± 0.53 μg/mL). It also showed moderate antioxidant activity with an IC<sub>50</sub> of 5.41 ± 0.68 μg/mL, relative to quercitrin (0.78 ± 0.37 μg/mL). Molecular docking studies revealed that the six identified constituents exhibited good binding affinity and fitting to the tyrosinase active site, as indicated by docking scores and specific interactions. These interactions likely contribute to the overall inhibitory effect through multiple binding modes. The findings suggest that the monoterpene content plays a crucial role in the observed inhibitory activity and enhance our understanding of natural compounds as potential therapeutics for tyrosinase-related disorders. Therefore, <i>P. dioica</i> flower essential oil may represent a safe and effective natural source of skin-whitening agents for cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. Further investigations, including <i>in vivo</i> studies, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicity profiling, are recommended.
KW  - Skin depigmentation; molecular docking; antioxidant activity; natural tyrosinase inhibitors

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2025.067998