The effect of isolates from Cassipourea flanaganii (Schinz) alston, a plant used as a skin lightning agent, on melanin production and tyrosinase inhibition.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The Zulu and Xhosa people of South Africa use the stem bark of Cassipourea flanaganii as a skin-lightning cosmetic.

Aim Of The Study: To isolate and identify compounds responsible for the skin lightning properties from the stem bark of Cassipourea flanaganii and to evaluate their cytotoxicity towards skin cells.

Materials And Methods: Extracts from the stem bark of Cassipourea flanaganii were isolated using chromatographic methods and structures were determined using NMR, IR and MS analysis.