Comparative Evaluation of Tyrosinase Inhibitory Activity in Taxonomically Verified Wood-Inhabiting Fungi

Wood-inhabiting fungi represent a taxonomically and metabolically diverse group with potential as sources of bioactive compounds, yet their tyrosinase inhibitory activity remains poorly explored beyond a limited number of well-known medicinal species. In this study, we comparatively evaluated the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of cultured mycelial extracts from 49 phylogenetically verified strains of wood-inhabiting fungi belonging to the Hymenochaetales and Polyporales orders. Strains were cultivated under standardized conditions, and ethanol extracts prepared from three independent biological replicates were evaluated at concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 5 mg/mL. Tyrosinase inhibitory activity varied markedly among the tested strains and generally increased with extract concentration. Hydnophlebia alachuana and Nigroporus vinosus showed particularly high activity, including substantial inhibition at the lowest concentration tested. These findings expand the range of wood-inhabiting fungi evaluated for tyrosinase inhibition and identify previously underexplored taxa as promising candidates for further investigation. The results provide a basis for prioritizing active fungal strains for chemical characterization and further evaluation of their tyrosinase-inhibitory potential.