A chemical compound that could become an important treatment for skin hyperpigmentation has been developed by researchers at the Jagiellonian University (UJ) in Krakow, Poland. 

The creation of the new chemical compound is the result of years of work by a team led by Dr Agnieszka Gunia-Krzyżak from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Jagiellonian University’s Collegium Medicum. 

According to the Jagiellonian University, the research looked at different types of compounds, including cinnamic acid derivatives, in terms of their potential to support the treatment of skin hyperpigmentation. 

Cinnamic acid is a substance found naturally in some plants, including the popular spice from which it takes its name. The researchers succeeded in obtaining one particular derivative of this acid, which they have shown to exhibit the desirable property of effectively inhibiting the melanin production processes of skin cells.