The inhibitory effect of ferulic acid on the diphenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase and the kinetic behavior were studied with L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) as substrate. The inhibitor concentration leading to 50% relative activity lost (IC50) was estimated to be 0.15mmol center dot L-1. The inhibition mechanism obtained from Lineweaver-Burk plots shows that ferulic acid is a competitive inhibitor and the inhibition of tyrosinase by ferulic acid is a reversible reaction. The equilibrium constant for ferulic acid binding with the tyrosinase was determined to be 0.25 mmol center dot L-1 for diphenolase.