4-ALKYLRESORCINOL DERIVATIVE AND SKIN-LIGHTENING AGENT CONTAINING THE SAME AS ACTIVE INGREDIENT

摘要

A 4-alkylresorcinol derivative which is excellent in skin-lightening effect and safety. It is a 4-alkylresorcinol derivative represented by the following general formula (I) or a salt thereof. (In the general formula (I), R<SUP>1</SUP> is branched alkyl selected among 1-ethylpropyl, 1-ethyl-2-methylpropyl, 1-isopropyl-2-methylpropyl, 1-butylpentyl, and 1-isobutyl-3-methylbutyl.) The 4-alkylresorcinol derivative (I) is satisfactorily effective in inhibiting melanin generation and is lowly cytotoxic. The derivative (I) is obtained by reacting an organometallic compound with a 4-acylresorcinol to incorporate an alkyl group into the carbonyl carbon and then reducing the resultant resorcinol compound.