Abstract
A kojic acid derivative, kojic acid 7-O-$\beta$-D-tetraacetylglucopyranoside(KTG) was synthesized. Regio-and stereo-selective glycosylation at 7-postion in kojic acid with $\beta$-D-pentaacetylglucose was achieved with high yield(80％) by the use of Lewis acid and organic base in nonpolar solvent. KTG was hydrolyzed in methanol by the aid of sodium methoxide to give kojic acid 7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside(KGP). KGP is freely soluble in water and soluble in methanol and ethanol. Its structure was comfirmed by $^1$H-NMR and $^{13}$ C-NMR. Tyrosinase activity inhibition of KGP was measured with mushroom tyrosinase compared with ascorbic acid, kojic acid and arbutin. KGP showed higher tyrosinase inhibition activity($IC_{50}$/=33.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) than ascorbic acid(63.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) and arbutin(91.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) but lower inhibition activity than kojic acid(8.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml). To test free-radical scavenging activity, we used 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) as a free-radical source. Free-radical scavenging activity of KGP was very low($SC_{50}$/>1000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) compared with ascorbic acid($SC_{50}$/=2.68 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) and arbutin($SC_{50}$/=180$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml). Melanin formation inhibition of KGP was measured in B16 melanoma, compared with kojic acid, arbutin and Vitamin C. Inhibition activity of KGP for melanin formation was not found within test concentrations.