Ingredient intelligence
Kojic acid
Pigmentation · Kojic Acid · C6H6O4
Kojic acid is a fungal metabolite that chelates the copper ions in the tyrosinase active site, an unusually well-characterised depigmenting mechanism in vitro.
Molecular identity
- Formula
- C6H6O4
- Molecular weight
- 142.11 g/mol
- PubChem CID
- 3840
- ChEBI
- CHEBI:43569
Biological targets
Tyrosinase (TYR)
high confidenceinhibits · enzyme
Copper chelation at the catalytic site.
UniProt P14679Tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1)
low confidenceinhibits · enzyme
UniProt P17643
How could this ingredient interact with biology?
Biological network
Ingredient → molecule → target → gene/protein → pathway → process → studied outcome. Relationship strength is drawn from the curated confidence tier; nothing is added to make the chain look complete.
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2 lower-confidence relationships are hidden at this filter level. Use “Show more biology” to include them.
Text alternative for this network
- Kojic acid is molecule Kojic acid — high confidence
- Kojic acid inhibits Tyrosinase (TYR) — high confidence
- Tyrosinase (TYR) encoded by TYR — high confidence
- TYR participates in Melanin biosynthesis — high confidence
- Melanin biosynthesis associated with Melanogenesis — high confidence
- Melanogenesis studied in Studied for hyperpigmentation endpoints; sensitisation reported — medium confidence
Biological pathways
Melanin biosynthesis
high confidenceDirect inhibition of the rate-limiting melanogenic enzyme.
Gene Ontology GO:0042438
Evidence engine
Insufficient
Not enough curated evidence to characterise this ingredient.
Skinceptor Evidence Index
11
experimental · of 100
This index is a research-navigation aid describing how much evidence exists and how it was produced. It is not a medical safety score, an efficacy guarantee, or a clinical recommendation.
Study composition
- In-vitro1
- Total studies
- 1
- Human studies
- 0
- Largest sample
- Data unavailable
- Range
- 1994–1994
Index breakdown
- Study design quality25% × 28%
Mean design weight across curated studies (meta-analysis 1.0, RCT 0.9, other human 0.7, review 0.45, animal 0.35, in-vitro 0.25).
- Human evidence share0% × 22%
Proportion of curated evidence measured in people rather than cells or animals.
- Evidence volume32% × 14%
Log-scaled count of curated studies, so volume alone cannot dominate the score.
- Largest sample size0% × 12%
Log-scaled largest reported sample size across curated human studies.
- Replication0% × 12%
Independent human studies, capped at three; one study is never treated as replicated.
- Recency0% × 7%
Linear decay over a twenty-year window from the most recent curated publication.
- Source traceability0% × 5%
Share of curated studies with a verified PMID or DOI in this dataset.
Insufficient comparable evidence for quantitative synthesis.
Research timeline
How the evidence accumulated
1994
Kojic acid as a tyrosinase inhibitor: copper chelation at the catalytic site
In-vitrosample size unavailable · Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry
Ingredient fingerprint
9 nodes · 9 relationships · seed "kojic-acid"
The fingerprint is a deterministic visual signature: ridge amplitude comes from the number of entities in each tier, node placement from identifier hashes, and opacity from confidence. Two ingredients can never produce the same figure unless their networks are identical.
Open in Biology as Art →Research
1 curated study
Kojic acid as a tyrosinase inhibitor: copper chelation at the catalytic site
Characterises kojic acid inhibition of tyrosinase through chelation of active-site copper ions.
Limitations — Enzyme assay only; no cutaneous endpoints; identifier not verified.
Community evidence
Submitted by readers
Reader submissions appear here only after review. They are not part of the curated dataset and do not affect the Skinceptor Evidence Index.
No approved community submissions yet.
Sources
- PubChem 3840retrieved 2026-09-14
- UniProt P14679retrieved 2026-09-14
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