Development and Application of an NMR-Based Assay for Polyphenol Oxidases

Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) are enzymes that catalyse the oxidation of phenolic compounds. We report a NMR-based assay that can be used as a screening and validation tool for PPO activity modulators, which was demonstrated using a series of PPO inhibitors and antioxidants. This method is exemplified by work in tandem with virtual screening and molecular modelling, which led to the discovery of several novel PPO inhibitors.