Molecular Structure Explorer
Alpha Arbutin
Structure of the compound covered in this guide.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Cleared Peptides research team
Research use only. Alpha Arbutin: Research Guide is supplied for laboratory research. It is not a drug, food, cosmetic, or dietary supplement. It is not FDA-approved. It is not for human or veterinary administration. This page does not give a dose or a method of administration. A study cited on this page describes that study’s own test article. It does not make this lot an approved medicine. To check a fact, open the PubMed or DOI link, confirm the authors and year, and match the paper’s compound name, CAS number, or sequence to the specification table. The full method is on the research desk page. Identity and purity for a lot are only what that lot’s certificate of analysis reports. An HPLC percentage is not a sterility result and not an endotoxin result unless the certificate prints those tests.
Alpha arbutin (4-hydroxyphenyl α-D-glucopyranoside) is a glycoside of hydroquinone. It is the α-anomer of naturally occurring β-arbutin and is used as a reference compound in tyrosinase-inhibition and cosmetic-formulation research.
Alpha Arbutin Structure and Identifiers
| Name | Alpha arbutin |
|---|---|
| Systematic name | 4-Hydroxyphenyl α-D-glucopyranoside |
| CAS number | 84380-01-8 |
| PubChem CID | 158637 |
| Molecular formula | C12H16O7 |
| Molecular weight | ≈272.3 g/mol |
| Type | Glycoside (not a peptide) |
| Form | White crystalline powder |
Alpha vs Beta Arbutin
The two forms differ only in the configuration of the glycosidic bond. The α-anomer is generally reported in the literature to be a more potent inhibitor of human tyrosinase in enzyme assays than β-arbutin.
Laboratory Applications
- Tyrosinase enzyme-inhibition assays
- Melanin-synthesis studies in cultured melanocytes
- Formulation stability testing
This summary describes laboratory research only and makes no claim about effects in humans or animals.
Purity Testing and Storage
Every lot of Alpha Arbutin supplied by Cleared Peptides is tested by an independent laboratory for identity and purity (or composition, for multi-component preparations), and the lot Certificate of Analysis is published on our COA page. Store at room temperature, tightly sealed and protected from moisture and light. Handle according to your institution’s chemical-hygiene procedures.
Research materials referenced in this guide
Analytical testing notes for Alpha arbutin
Alpha arbutin is identified in this guide as CAS 84380-01-8, formula C12H16O7, listed mass ≈272.3 g/mol. An identity test compares a measurement with those values. A mass spectrum is the usual measurement for a peptide. FTIR, when a certificate uses it, is a supporting infrared fingerprint and is less specific for closely related sequences.
Alpha arbutin is discussed here as a cosmetic-science research material. Chromatographic purity and a spectroscopic or mass identity still apply. Those results describe the test article. They are not a cosmetic-claim substantiation and they are not a sterility or endotoxin result unless those tests are printed on the certificate.
HPLC purity for this material is an area-percent result at the wavelength and gradient the laboratory states, commonly ultraviolet detection near 214 nm on a reversed-phase column. The instrument is a gradient pump, injector, column oven, and UV or diode-array detector. That percentage is not the number of milligrams in the vial. Water, acetate, trifluoroacetate, and other UV-silent material can dominate the gross weight while the purity figure stays high. Net peptide content, from an assay or amino-acid analysis, is the separate result to read when the certificate reports it.
A sterility test and an endotoxin test are not included in a chemical purity result. The compendial sterility test is a culture method (USP <71>): membrane filtration or direct inoculation into fluid thioglycollate medium and soybean-casein digest medium, incubated for 14 days. A PCR sterility screen uses a thermal cycler to detect microbial DNA and is a different method. The endotoxin test (USP <85> LAL, or USP <86> recombinant Factor C) reports endotoxin units with an incubating reader or a cartridge reader. Use a result only when that method is printed on the lot certificate. One published example in this catalog states that the report does not cover microbial contamination or endotoxins. The full description of equipment, standards, and how US laboratory accreditation works is in peptide analytical testing. Lot records are on the COA page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is alpha arbutin a peptide?
No. It is a glycoside of hydroquinone, supplied alongside our cosmetic-science research peptides.
Is Alpha Arbutin for human use?
No. Cleared Peptides supplies Alpha Arbutin for laboratory research use only; it is not for human or veterinary use.
Selected References
Peer-reviewed literature on the compounds discussed in this guide, listed as scientific background for laboratory researchers. Citation does not imply endorsement by the authors or any use other than in-vitro research.
- Ghofrani NS, et al. New Insight into the Interactions of Arbutin with Mushroom Tyrosinase. Protein J. 2021;40(5):689-698. PubMed 34047882 · DOI
- Rudeekulthamrong P, et al. Optimization of amylomaltase for the synthesis of α-arbutin derivatives as tyrosinase inhibitors. Carbohydr Res. 2020;494:108078. PubMed 32622087 · DOI
Laboratory note: solubility depends on salt form and solvent. This guide does not state a single solubility figure. Handling of lyophilized material is described in the peptide storage guide.
Research Use Only Notice
This guide is provided for educational and laboratory reference purposes. It summarizes published, primarily in-vitro and structural research literature and does not describe, recommend or imply any use in humans or animals. Products sold by Cleared Peptides are for laboratory research use only; they are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or dietary supplements, are not FDA-approved, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease. No dosing, administration or therapeutic information is provided.
