Use of Catecholoxygenase for Determination of Catechol

Abstract A cell extract from Trichosporon cutaneum containing catechol 1,2-oxygenase catalyzes the oxidation of catechol to cis,cis-muconic acid. The absorbance of the cis,cis-muconic acid at 260 nm can be correlated with the initial catechol concentration in the range 5 × 10−6 M to 5 × 10−5 M in aqueous solutions. This enzymatic assay has been applied to the determination of catechol in aqueous samples derived from coal processing.