Objective(s): Tyrosinase is a key enzyme in pigment synthesis. Overproduction of melanin in parts of the skin results in hyperpigmentation diseases. This enzyme is also responsible for the enzymatic browning in fruits and vegetables. Thus, its inhibitors are of great importance in the medical, cosmetic and agricultural fields. Materials and Methods: A series of twelve kojic acid derivatives wer...

A novel nano-initiator containing kojic acid moiety, [5-(benzyloxy)-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2-yl)methyl-2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate was synthesized by the reaction of 5-(benzyloxy)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4H-pyran-4-one with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide in triethylamine and used as initiator in the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene and methyl methacrylate in the presence of Cu(0)/CuCl2and N,N...

By employing a chiral bifunctional thiourea-tertiary amine as catalyst, enantioselective Michael addition of a kojic acid derivative to nitro olefins was realised. The reactions afforded the products with good yields (up to 99%) in good enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee). In addition, the absolute configuration of one product was determined.