Melanins: functional properties and application possibilities in medical practice

Abstract

Introduction. The article provides information on the functional properties of various melanins and their biosynthesis, as well as natural sources of their production, the use of medicines and dietary supplements containing melanin in medical practice. To do this, a systematic search was conducted in the databases: CyberLeninka, eLibrary, PubMed, SAGE Premier, Springer, Wiley Journals, over the past 10 years (2013–2023). As a result of the review, it was revealed that melanins are widespread in living organisms and are an important natural biomaterial. Melanins of microbial, fungal, animal and plant origin are known, they are divided into five types, of which the most studied are eumelanin, pheomelanin and neuromelanin. A number of studies are presented that prove that melanins are characterized by a wide range of biological activity. They have photoprotective, radioprotective, antimutagenic, immunomodulatory stress-protective, geroprotective, antioxidant, detoxification and anti-inflammatory effects. Information is provided on the possible use of melanin in the complex therapy of melanoma, Parkinson's disease and neurodegenerative diseases, to protect the skin and eyes from radiation damage, correct stress conditions and prevent infectious diseases during the epidemic season. It has been shown that melanin chaga is widely used in domestic medicine in the form of medicines (Befungin) and dietary supplements. An important difference between them is the concentration of melanin, the method of its isolation and purification, as well as the manufacturing technology, which is demonstrated in the article. A biologically active additive with an additional source of β-glucans and polyphenols Amelan is considered, the main active component of which is melanin of fungal origin obtained by a method that increases the yield of melanin and improves its quality by increasing the concentration of its paramagnetic centers compared with melanin obtained without the specified pretreatment of fruit bodies. Conclusion. The information presented in the article on melanins and their functional properties indicates the prospects of using melanins as a source for the production of medicines and biologically active additives.