Novel 4-heteroarylimidazole-2-thione tyrosinase inhibitors and pharmaceutical/cosmetic applications thereof

A 4-heteroarylimidazole-2-thione tyrosinase inhibiting compound of general formula (I):

• in which:
• X is an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom,
• Y is a carbon atom or a nitrogen atom,
• when R2=H, then R1 is:
• a C1-C7 alkyl radical,
• a C3-C7 cycloalkyl radical, with the proviso that one of the carbon atoms of the ring may optionally be replaced by an oxygen or sulfur atom,
• a C4-Cg cycloalkylalkyl radical,
• a carboxyl substituent,
• a (C1-C6 alkoxy)carbonyl radical, or
• a C1-C4 alkyl radical substituted by a (C1-C4 alkoxy)carbonyl, and, when R2 is other than a hydrogen atom, then R1 and R2, which may be identical or different, are selected from among:
• a C1-C7 alkyl radical,
• a C3-C7 cycloalkyl radical, with the proviso that one of the carbon atoms of the ring may optionally be replaced by an oxygen or sulfur atom,
• a C4-C9 cycloalkylalkyl radical,
• a carboxyl substituent,
• a (C1-C6 alkoxy)carbonyl radical, or
• a C1-C4 alkyl radical substituted by a (C1-C4 alkoxy)carbonyl radical, and, when R2 is in the ortho position with respect to R1, then R1 and R2 together form a hydrocarbon ring containing 5 or 6 carbon atoms, and the salts and tautomeric forms thereof.