Abstract: There is provided a process for enhancing the activity of a phenol oxidizing enzyme, comprising adding to the enzyme, as an enhancer for the activity of the enzyme, one or more compounds having the formula: wherein: A is an optionally substituted electron-withdrawing group, chosen from the group consisting of nitrile, carboxyl, and esters and salts thereof, amides, aldehydes, ketones, sulfoxides, sulfones, or sulphonates, and B is an optionally substituted electron-donating group, chosen from the group consisting of the oxide anion, sulfide anion, oxides, amines, imines, hydroxides, sulfides, ethers, carboxylic acids, and halogen substituents, and R1-R5 may each independently represent hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, nitroso, formyl, carboxyl, and esters and salts thereof, carbamoyl, sulfo, and esters and salts hereof, sulfamoyl, nitro, amino, phenyl, C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C8 alkoxy, carbonyl-C1-C6-alkoxy, aryl-C1-C6-alkyl, and R2 and R5 together may form an alkylene group or an alkenylene group.