The morphologies of eumelanin, isolated from the six cephalopods species Sepia esculenta, Sepia lycidas, Sepia pharaonis, Sepiella japonica, Euprymna berryi, and Uroteuthis(Photololigo) edulis, were investigated using...The morphologies of eumelanin, isolated from the six cephalopods species Sepia esculenta, Sepia lycidas, Sepia pharaonis, Sepiella japonica, Euprymna berryi, and Uroteuthis(Photololigo) edulis, were investigated using atomic force microscopy(AFM). The results showed that the hierarchical aggregate structures of irregular spherical particles with different diameters are the common characteristics of these eumelanins. Furthermore, the diameters of these spherical particles present an uneven distribution in a wide range and mainly concentrate in the range of about 20-150 nm. In addition, the eumelanin from different cephalopods species show obvious differences in the morphologies, which is illustrated by different assembly forms of diverse aggregate units and the quantitative features of eumelanin particles derived from the images.展开更多
The^(10)boron neutron-capture therapy(BNCT)is an emerging antitumoral method that shows increasing biomedical interest.BNCT is based on the selective accumulation of the^(10)boron isotope within the tumor,which is the...The^(10)boron neutron-capture therapy(BNCT)is an emerging antitumoral method that shows increasing biomedical interest.BNCT is based on the selective accumulation of the^(10)boron isotope within the tumor,which is then irradiated with low-energy thermal neutrons,generating nuclear fission that produces 7lithium,4helium,andγrays.Simple catechol-borate esters have been rather overlooked as precursors of melanin biosynthesis,and therefore,a proof-of-concept approach for using dopamine-borate(DABO)as a suitable boron-containing candidate for potential BNCT is presented here.DABO can spontaneously oxidize and autopolymerize in vitro,giving a soluble,eumelaninlike brown-black poly-DABO product.Melanotic melanoma cell cultures treated with 1 mM DABO for 24 and 48 h were viable and showed no signs of damage or cell death.The stability and possible trans-esterification of DABO is shortly discussed.Chemical calculations and quantitative structure-activity relationships(QSAR)analysis of DABO and the BNCT agent BPA indicated that they should be cell permeant and accumulate within lysosomes and melanosomes.Molecular modeling allows visualization of both the DABO precursor and the structure of a borate derivative of the proposed catechol-porphycene model for eumelanin,showing interesting features from molecular orbital calculations.The main difference between DABO and other agents,such as BPA,is that it is not a boronic acid nor a boron cluster.This simple catechol-borate ester(protected from oxidation and blackening)could be administrated to living cells and organisms,in which biosynthesis of boron-melanin in melanoma melanocytes can lead to improved BNCT.展开更多
Melanin is one of the essential compounds in the pigments of molluscan shells.However,the effects of melanin on color variations in molluscs are largely unknown.Our previous study suggests that Yesso scallop Patinopec...Melanin is one of the essential compounds in the pigments of molluscan shells.However,the effects of melanin on color variations in molluscs are largely unknown.Our previous study suggests that Yesso scallop Patinopecten yessoensis might contain melanin pigment in the dark brown shell.We therefore isolated melanin from the pigmented shells using hydrochloric acid method,and characterized the types of melanin pigments by spectrophotometry.The purified melanin,which was verified by spectrophotometry scanning and HPLC analysis,showed the typical characteristics of melanin absorption spectra and HPLC chromatograms.The contents of pheomelanin and eumelanin in pigmented shells,which were determined by the linear standard curve of melanin at 405 nm and 350 nm absorbance,were 48.23 ? 1.350 and 157.65 ? 5.905 mg,respectively.The present results indicate that the brown-pigmented shells of scallops comprise approximately 76.6% of eumelanin and 23.4% of pheomelanin,which supports the presence of eumelanin-rich pigment in scallop shells.Therefore,the combination of hydrochloric acid extraction and spectrophotometric quantification is a rapid and efficient method to isolate and quantify melanin in shells.This will facilitate the melanin studies related to shell color polymorphism and the selective breeding of bivalves with different shell colors.展开更多
Melanins represent one of the most ancient and important group of natural macromolecular pigments.They have multiple biological roles in almost all organisms across the Phyla,examples being photoprotection,anti-oxidat...Melanins represent one of the most ancient and important group of natural macromolecular pigments.They have multiple biological roles in almost all organisms across the Phyla,examples being photoprotection,anti-oxidative action,radical scavenger activity,and heavy metal removal.From the biomedical point of view,melanocytes are involved in the origin of melanoma tumors,and the main therapeutic advances for their treatment have been revised in Part 1 of this review.The chemical structure of eumelanin is a biological concern of great importance,and therefore,exploring theoretical molecular models and synthesis mechanisms will be here described,as well as molecular orbital features and supramolecular organization,which are responsible for the key properties that make these biological pigments so important,and so fascinating.Ultimately,this updated overview is devoted to describe present structural models and physico-chemical characteristics of eumelanin,in order to explain and utilize melanin properties on which new photothermal and ultrasonic protocols for melanoma treatment can be devised and applied.展开更多
利用热裂解-气相色谱质谱联用(pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry,Py-GC/MS)分析技术测定黑木耳新品种‘农黑2号’黑色素裂解产物组分的种类及含量,为解析黑色素的结构奠定理论基础。本研究通过碱溶酸沉法提取黑色素,并...利用热裂解-气相色谱质谱联用(pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry,Py-GC/MS)分析技术测定黑木耳新品种‘农黑2号’黑色素裂解产物组分的种类及含量,为解析黑色素的结构奠定理论基础。本研究通过碱溶酸沉法提取黑色素,并用紫外可见吸收光谱、傅立叶红外光谱、有机元素分析鉴定黑色素,采用Py-GC/MS技术分析其热裂解产物。结果表明,‘农黑2号’黑色素的最大吸收峰值在波长220 nm处,傅立叶红外光谱符合典型的黑色素特征;经有机元素分析,C、H、N、O元素的含量分别为43.47%、5.24%、11.71%和39.58%,不含硫元素,为真黑色素;检出的热裂解产物主要有苯类、苯酚类、吲哚类、苯基腈类、烃类、酸类等物质,其中苯、苯酚、吲哚等化合物为真黑色素的裂解产物。综上所述,‘农黑2号’黑色素为真黑色素,其基本骨架为苯环和吲哚,本研究为精准解析黑木耳黑色素结构提供科学依据。展开更多
The principle determinant of melanin derived hair colour and patterning in mammals is genetic, but environmental factors are now thought to play a role. It has been shown that the concentration of melanins in cat hair...The principle determinant of melanin derived hair colour and patterning in mammals is genetic, but environmental factors are now thought to play a role. It has been shown that the concentration of melanins in cat hair is influenced by the amino acid composition of their diets. Also, puppies were found to require tyrosine(Tyr) intake significantly greater than that recommended for normal growth and development in order to optimize melanin expression in their coats. Much of the work to date has been conducted in growing animals. Less is known about the relationship between nutrition and hair melanin deposition in healthy adult animals. In this study, we fed 2 groups of adult black Labrador retrievers(12 dogs/group) different concentrations of Phe + Tyr(5.6 vs. 3.5 g/Mcal) for 24 weeks and used spectrophotometric measurements every 8 weeks to detect any associated changes in the dogs' hair colour.The higher intake dogs showed reduced dilution of their black coat pigment compared with the lower intake dogs. Specifically, following 16 weeks at the higher intake, the dogs showed less yellow pigmentation to their coats(P = 0.0032), and after 24 weeks at the higher intake, the dogs showed less red(P < 0.0001) and yellow(P< 0.0001), as well as greater overall dark pigmentation(P < 0.0001). In conclusion, we have demonstrated for the first time that colour expression in the hair-coat of adult dogs is dependent on dietary intake of Tyr, and that the requirement appears to be in excess of the minimum level recommended to maintain health.展开更多
基金supported by the Special Fund Project of Industry, University and Research Institute Collaboration in Guangdong province (No.2013B090500036)the Project of Science & Technology in Guangdong Province (No.2014B040404071)+2 种基金the Project of Science & Technology in Zhanjiang City (No.2013A202-4)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (No.2015A 030310406)the PhD. Programs Foundation of Lingnan Normal University (No.ZL1313)
文摘The morphologies of eumelanin, isolated from the six cephalopods species Sepia esculenta, Sepia lycidas, Sepia pharaonis, Sepiella japonica, Euprymna berryi, and Uroteuthis(Photololigo) edulis, were investigated using atomic force microscopy(AFM). The results showed that the hierarchical aggregate structures of irregular spherical particles with different diameters are the common characteristics of these eumelanins. Furthermore, the diameters of these spherical particles present an uneven distribution in a wide range and mainly concentrate in the range of about 20-150 nm. In addition, the eumelanin from different cephalopods species show obvious differences in the morphologies, which is illustrated by different assembly forms of diverse aggregate units and the quantitative features of eumelanin particles derived from the images.
文摘The^(10)boron neutron-capture therapy(BNCT)is an emerging antitumoral method that shows increasing biomedical interest.BNCT is based on the selective accumulation of the^(10)boron isotope within the tumor,which is then irradiated with low-energy thermal neutrons,generating nuclear fission that produces 7lithium,4helium,andγrays.Simple catechol-borate esters have been rather overlooked as precursors of melanin biosynthesis,and therefore,a proof-of-concept approach for using dopamine-borate(DABO)as a suitable boron-containing candidate for potential BNCT is presented here.DABO can spontaneously oxidize and autopolymerize in vitro,giving a soluble,eumelaninlike brown-black poly-DABO product.Melanotic melanoma cell cultures treated with 1 mM DABO for 24 and 48 h were viable and showed no signs of damage or cell death.The stability and possible trans-esterification of DABO is shortly discussed.Chemical calculations and quantitative structure-activity relationships(QSAR)analysis of DABO and the BNCT agent BPA indicated that they should be cell permeant and accumulate within lysosomes and melanosomes.Molecular modeling allows visualization of both the DABO precursor and the structure of a borate derivative of the proposed catechol-porphycene model for eumelanin,showing interesting features from molecular orbital calculations.The main difference between DABO and other agents,such as BPA,is that it is not a boronic acid nor a boron cluster.This simple catechol-borate ester(protected from oxidation and blackening)could be administrated to living cells and organisms,in which biosynthesis of boron-melanin in melanoma melanocytes can lead to improved BNCT.
基金supported by the grants from the Basic Scientific Research Fund of YSFRI(No.20603022015 16054)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31602153)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(No.ZR2016CQ32)
文摘Melanin is one of the essential compounds in the pigments of molluscan shells.However,the effects of melanin on color variations in molluscs are largely unknown.Our previous study suggests that Yesso scallop Patinopecten yessoensis might contain melanin pigment in the dark brown shell.We therefore isolated melanin from the pigmented shells using hydrochloric acid method,and characterized the types of melanin pigments by spectrophotometry.The purified melanin,which was verified by spectrophotometry scanning and HPLC analysis,showed the typical characteristics of melanin absorption spectra and HPLC chromatograms.The contents of pheomelanin and eumelanin in pigmented shells,which were determined by the linear standard curve of melanin at 405 nm and 350 nm absorbance,were 48.23 ? 1.350 and 157.65 ? 5.905 mg,respectively.The present results indicate that the brown-pigmented shells of scallops comprise approximately 76.6% of eumelanin and 23.4% of pheomelanin,which supports the presence of eumelanin-rich pigment in scallop shells.Therefore,the combination of hydrochloric acid extraction and spectrophotometric quantification is a rapid and efficient method to isolate and quantify melanin in shells.This will facilitate the melanin studies related to shell color polymorphism and the selective breeding of bivalves with different shell colors.
文摘Melanins represent one of the most ancient and important group of natural macromolecular pigments.They have multiple biological roles in almost all organisms across the Phyla,examples being photoprotection,anti-oxidative action,radical scavenger activity,and heavy metal removal.From the biomedical point of view,melanocytes are involved in the origin of melanoma tumors,and the main therapeutic advances for their treatment have been revised in Part 1 of this review.The chemical structure of eumelanin is a biological concern of great importance,and therefore,exploring theoretical molecular models and synthesis mechanisms will be here described,as well as molecular orbital features and supramolecular organization,which are responsible for the key properties that make these biological pigments so important,and so fascinating.Ultimately,this updated overview is devoted to describe present structural models and physico-chemical characteristics of eumelanin,in order to explain and utilize melanin properties on which new photothermal and ultrasonic protocols for melanoma treatment can be devised and applied.
文摘利用热裂解-气相色谱质谱联用(pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry,Py-GC/MS)分析技术测定黑木耳新品种‘农黑2号’黑色素裂解产物组分的种类及含量,为解析黑色素的结构奠定理论基础。本研究通过碱溶酸沉法提取黑色素,并用紫外可见吸收光谱、傅立叶红外光谱、有机元素分析鉴定黑色素,采用Py-GC/MS技术分析其热裂解产物。结果表明,‘农黑2号’黑色素的最大吸收峰值在波长220 nm处,傅立叶红外光谱符合典型的黑色素特征;经有机元素分析,C、H、N、O元素的含量分别为43.47%、5.24%、11.71%和39.58%,不含硫元素,为真黑色素;检出的热裂解产物主要有苯类、苯酚类、吲哚类、苯基腈类、烃类、酸类等物质,其中苯、苯酚、吲哚等化合物为真黑色素的裂解产物。综上所述,‘农黑2号’黑色素为真黑色素,其基本骨架为苯环和吲哚,本研究为精准解析黑木耳黑色素结构提供科学依据。
文摘The principle determinant of melanin derived hair colour and patterning in mammals is genetic, but environmental factors are now thought to play a role. It has been shown that the concentration of melanins in cat hair is influenced by the amino acid composition of their diets. Also, puppies were found to require tyrosine(Tyr) intake significantly greater than that recommended for normal growth and development in order to optimize melanin expression in their coats. Much of the work to date has been conducted in growing animals. Less is known about the relationship between nutrition and hair melanin deposition in healthy adult animals. In this study, we fed 2 groups of adult black Labrador retrievers(12 dogs/group) different concentrations of Phe + Tyr(5.6 vs. 3.5 g/Mcal) for 24 weeks and used spectrophotometric measurements every 8 weeks to detect any associated changes in the dogs' hair colour.The higher intake dogs showed reduced dilution of their black coat pigment compared with the lower intake dogs. Specifically, following 16 weeks at the higher intake, the dogs showed less yellow pigmentation to their coats(P = 0.0032), and after 24 weeks at the higher intake, the dogs showed less red(P < 0.0001) and yellow(P< 0.0001), as well as greater overall dark pigmentation(P < 0.0001). In conclusion, we have demonstrated for the first time that colour expression in the hair-coat of adult dogs is dependent on dietary intake of Tyr, and that the requirement appears to be in excess of the minimum level recommended to maintain health.
