Plant melanins: extraction, bioactivity, and applications
Food Chemistry, cilt.516, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
- Cilt numarası: 516
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.149420
- Dergi Adı: Food Chemistry
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Applications, Biological activity, Plant-derived melanin
- Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Melanin is a dark, hydrophobic, and water-insoluble biopolymer widely distributed in humans, plants, animals, and microorganisms, exhibiting multiple bioactivities, including UV protection, antioxidant, antimicrobial, thermoregulatory, cytotoxic, and antitumor effects. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of plant-derived melanins, with particular emphasis on their sources, extraction methods, structural characteristics, and functional properties. Relevant studies were critically analyzed to compare plant melanins with those obtained from animal, synthetic, and microbial sources. Recent advances in extraction, purification, and structural modification have significantly improved the solubility and applicability of plant-based melanins. The reviewed findings highlight that plant-derived melanins, especially when sourced from agricultural by-products, offer advantages in terms of sustainability, safety, and functional performance. Overall, plant-based melanins emerge as promising bioactive ingredients with potential applications in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and biomedical industries, supporting their growing interest as eco-friendly and multifunctional materials.