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Isolation and Structural Characterization of Melanins from Red and Yellow Varieties of Stropharia rugosoannulata

Summary

Researchers studied the pigments that give mushrooms their colors, specifically looking at red and yellow varieties of wine cap mushrooms. They found that these colors come from melanin, the same pigment found in human skin. The study revealed that the red variety has more of certain melanin types than the yellow variety, which explains why they look different. These pigments could have health benefits because melanins are known to have antioxidant and anti-tumor properties.

Background

Melanin is a complex natural pigment found in edible fungi that influences nutritional quality and commercial value. Stropharia rugosoannulata is an emerging edible mushroom cultivated widely in recent years, categorized into red and yellow varieties based on cap color. However, the pigment characteristics and melanin composition of this species remain unclear.

Objective

To isolate and comprehensively characterize melanins from red and yellow varieties of S. rugosoannulata, including their chemical properties, elemental composition, and ultrastructural features to understand the biological basis of cap color variation.

Results

Both melanins showed absorption maxima at approximately 211 nm. Red variety contained 55.63% C, 7.40% H, 30.23% O, 5.99% N, and 0.64% S, while yellow variety comprised 52.22% C, 6.74% H, 29.70% O, 5.91% N, and 0.99% S. Both contained eumelanin and phaeomelanin, with eumelanin as the predominant form, and melanins were primarily localized in the cell wall.

Conclusion

Melanin pigments were successfully isolated and purified from both S. rugosoannulata varieties. The variations in quantities and proportions of eumelanin and phaeomelanin account for color differences in mushroom caps. These findings provide valuable insights into mushroom pigment properties and potential applications.
  • Published in:International Journal of Molecular Sciences,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: 10.3390/ijms26146985, PMID: 40725232
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