Product Name : Kojic acid

Kojic acid, (formal name: 5-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-1,4-pyrone) is a kind of subacid organic compound made in microbial fermentation. Kojic acid is white or off-white needle-like crystals, easily dissolved in water, alcohol and acetone; slightly dissolved in ether, ethyl acetate, chloroform and pyridine; and undissolved in benzene. The molecular formula is C6H6O4; molecular weight is 142.1; melting point is 153~156°C. CAS: 501~30~4.Usage:(1) Application in cosmetic field: It is used for macula-removing and whitening.In the human skin, tyrosine is oxidized and polymerized with oxygen-derived free radicals under the catalytic action of tyrosinase and then synthesized to melanin. Kojic acid can inhibit tyrosinase synthesis, so it can greatly inhibit the skin melanin formation; furthermore, kojic acid is safe and nontoxic and won’t cause white spot syndrome. Therefore, it has been widely added in the lotion, face mask, liquid cream and skin cream. Whitening cosmetics containing kojic acid are able to treat effectively the freckle, senile plaque, pigmentation and acne, etc. Kojic acid in concentration of 20ug/ml is able to inhibit 70~80%of the activity of many kinds of tyrosinases (or polyphenoloxidase PPO) . 0.2~1.0% of kojic acid is recommended to be added in the cosmetics.(2) In food processing field: kojic acid is utilized as food additives for preservation, fresh-keeping and antioxidation. Experiments demonstrate that koiic acid is able to inhibit the sodium nitrite in bacon transforming to nitrosamine, and kojic acid adding in the food doesn’t affect the taste, scent and quality of the food. Moreover, kojic acid is the material for making maltol and ethyl maltol. In the food processing filed, kojic acid has a good application prospect.(3) In medicine field: kojic acid has no mutagenic action to eukaryotic cells. It is able to eliminate the free radicals in the human body, strengthen the activity of the leucocyte, so it is good for human health. Now kojic acid has been used as the an important material of cephalosporin-type antibiotics. The finished products have ideal effect in easing pain, relieving inflammation and curing many diseases (like headache and toothache, etc.).(4) In agriculture field: Kojic acid is used in producing biological pesticides. 0.5-1.0% of kojic acid can be added in microelement fertilizer (crimson liquid). This kind of crop production promoter has significant effect on increasing production of grains and vegetables, no matter it is used as low-concentration foliage fertilizer for spraying or yield-increasing agent for root applying.(5) In other fields: kojic acid is also used as iron analytical reagent and film spotting agent, etc.