| Abstract: | Kojic acid is a very effective inhibitor of mushroom tyrosinase as judged by its effect on the rate of pigmented products formation and on the rate of oxygen uptake when different o-dihydroxyphenols are oxidized by the enzyme. In addition to the ability of kojic acid to inhibit the enzyme per se, the data show that kojic acid can change the spectrum of some pigmented products formed in its absence, probably due to the ability of some o-quinones formed enzymatically to oxidize kojic acid to a yellow product(s). These findings call for caution in the use of kojic acid as an inhibitor of enzymatic browning in tissues and processed foods that are not yellow originally. |
