Inhibitory effects of 4-halobenzoic acids on the diphenolase and monophenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase.

The effects of 4-halobenzoic acids (4-fluorobenzoic acid, 4-chlorobenzoic acid, and 4-bromobenzoic acid) on the activity of mushroom tyrosinase have been studied. The results show that 4-halobenzoic acids can strongly inhibit both monophenolase activity and diphenolase activity of the enzyme, and the inhibition displays a reversible course. The IC50 values were estimated as 0.26, 0.20, and 0.18 mM for diphenolase activity and as 1.03, 0.75, and 0.60 mM for monophenolase activity, respectively. Kinetic analyses show that the inhibition mechanism of all three 4-halobenzoic acids is noncompetitive inhibition to the diphenolase activity, and the inhibition constants (K1) were determined to be 0.25, 0.20, and 0.17 mM, respectively. The lag time of the monophenolase was obviously lengthened by these three 4-halobenzoic acids. When the concentration of inhibitors reached 1.4 mM, the lag time was lengthened from 30 s to 120, 125, and 150 s, respectively.