Melanins: Functions, Biotechnological Production, and Applications
Guillermo Gosset, (ed.)This book provides an up-to-date overview of the biological functions of melanins, their biotechnological production, and their industrial applications.
The melanins form a group of polymeric pigments found in most organisms. These natural products are generated by the oxidation of phenolic and indolic molecules yielding melanins, which include eumelanin, pheomelanin, pyomelanin, and the allomelanins. These pigments have diverse biological functions, including photoprotection, thermoregulation, antioxidation, virulence, and metal ion sequestration. Melanins have physicochemical properties that have proven useful in the optical, electronic, material, agriculture, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and medical industries.
The chapters in this book provide an in-depth analysis of the current issues and challenges in this field. Topics covered include the properties, biogenesis, and evolution of melanosomes.