Ascorbic acid, which is found in citrus fruits, acts as an inhibitor to catecholase, the enzyme responsible for the browning reaction in fruits such as apples, peaches, and pears. One explanation for the inhibiting function of ascorbic acid could be its similarity, in terms of size and shape, to catechol, the substrate of the browning reaction. If this explanation is correct, then this inhibition is most likely an example of.

The correct answer is competitive inhibition.

Explanation:

Competitive inhibition refers to the form of inhibition in which a substance, that is, an inhibitor is much similar to an enzyme's specific substrate. It resembles a substrate in size and configuration and thus gets attached to the active site of an enzyme reversibly. This association results in the formation of an enzyme-inhibitor complex, which is almost the same as the enzyme-substrate complex.  

Thus, in the given case, ascorbic acid, which is functioning as an inhibitor to catecholase is an illustration of competitive inhibition.