Abstract
Natural melanin is of great potential value and application in the fields of pharmacology, cosmetics, and functional foods. In the present study, statistically designed experiments were conducted for the optimization of the media to enhance the production of melanin by submerged culture of Auricularia auricula. Glucose, tyrosine, peptone, and CaCO3 were found to have significant effects (P < 0.015) on melanin biosynthesis by a Plackett–Burman experimental design and subsequently optimized using response surface methodology. Optimal media were obtained at the following concentrations: glucose, 0.90 g/L; tyrosine, 6.68 g/L; peptone, 6.99 g/L; and CaCO3, 6.75 g/L. The validity of the optimum media was verified in separate experiments in which the melanin yield of 1008.08 mg/L was obtained under optimum conditions, compared with 306.52 mg/L at other conditions, i.e., a 3.29-fold increase. Furthermore, the important physical and chemical properties of A. auricula melanin were determined. The findings from the present study indicate that large-scale production of natural melanin by submerged culture of A. auricular could be a useful approach.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dong, C., & Yao, Y. (2012). Isolation, characterization of melanin derived from Ophiocordyceps sinensis, an entomogenous fungus endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 113, 474–479.
Huang, S., Pan, Y., Gan, D., Ouyang, X., Tang, S., Ekunwe, S. I. N., & Wang, H. (2011). Antioxidant activities and UV-protective properties of melanin from the berry of Cinnamomum burmannii and Osmanthus fragrans. Medicinal Chemistry Research, 20, 475–481.
Shcherba, V. V., Babitskaya, V. G., Kurchenko, V. P., Ikonnikova, N. V., & Kukulyanskaya, T. A. (2000). Antioxidant properties of fungal melanin pigments. Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, 36, 491–495.
Tu, Y., Sun, Y., Tian, Y., Xie, M., & Chen, J. (2009). Physicochemical characterisation and antioxidant activity of melanin from the muscles of Taihe Black-bone silky fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus Brisson). Food Chemistry, 114, 1345–1350.
Sava, V. M., Galkin, B. N., Hong, M. Y., Yang, P. C., & Huang, G. S. (2001). A novel melanin-like pigment derived from black tea leaves with immuno-stimulating activity. Food Research International, 34, 337–343.
El-Obeid, A., Al-Harbi, S., Al-Jomah, N., & Hassib, A. (2006). Herbal melanin modulates tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production. Phytomedicine, 13, 324–333.
Hung, Y. C., Sava, V. M., Blagodarsky, V. A., Hong, M. Y., & Huang, G. S. (2003). Protection of tea melanin on hydrazine-induced liver injury. Life Science, 72, 1061–1071.
Li, B., Li, W., Chen, X., Jiang, M., & Dong, M. (2012). In vitro antibiofilm activity of the melanin from Auricularia auricula, an edible jelly mushroom. Annals of Microbiology, 62, 1523–1530.
Guo, X., Chen, S., Hu, Y., Li, G., Liao, N., Ye, X., Liu, D., & Xue, C. Preparation of water-soluble melanin from squid ink using ultrasound-assisted degradation and its anti-oxidant activity. Journal of Food Science and Technology. doi:10.1007/s13197-013-0937-7.
Zeng, W. C., Zhang, Z., Gao, H., Jia, L. R., & Chen, W. Y. (2012). Characterization of antioxidant polysaccharides from Auricularia auricula using microwave-assisted extraction. Carbohydrate Polymer, 89, 694–700.
Wu, J., Ding, Z. Y., & Zhang, K. C. (2006). Improvement of exopolysaccharide production by macro-fungus Auricularia auricula in submerged culture. Enzyme Microbial and Technology, 39, 743–749.
Jiao, Y. C., Chen, Q. H., Zhou, J. S., Zhang, H. F., & Chen, H. Y. (2008). Improvement of exo-polysaccharides production and modeling kinetics by Armillaria luteo-virens Sacc. in submerged cultivation. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 41, 1694–1700.
Gao, H., & Gu, W. Y. (2007). Optimization of polysaccharide and ergosterol production from Agaricus brasiliensis by fermentation process. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 33, 202–210.
Jeong, S. C., Cho, S. P., Yang, B. K., Gu, Y. A., Jang, J. H., Huh, T. L., & Song, C. H. (2004). Production of an anti-complement exo-polymer produced by Auricularia auricula-judae in submerged culture. Biotechnology Letters, 26, 923–927.
Zou, Y., Xie, C., Fan, G., Gu, Z., & Han, Y. (2010). Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of melanin from Auricularia auricula fruit bodies. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 11, 611–615.
Manivasagan, P., Venkatesan, J., Senthilkumar, K., Sivakumar, K., & Kim, S. K. (2013). Isolation and characterization of biologically active melanin from Actinoalloteichus sp. MA-32. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 58, 263–274.
Surwase, S. N., Jadhav, S. B., Phugare, S. S., & Jadhav, J. P. (2013). Optimization of melanin production by Brevundimonas sp. SGJ using response surface methodology. 3 Biotechnology, 3, 187–194.
Jalmi, P., Bodke, P., Wahidullah, S., & Raghukumar, S. (2012). The fungus Gliocephalotrichum simplex as a source of abundant, extracellular melanin for biotechnological applications. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 28, 505–512.
Zhan, F., He, Y., Zu, Y., Li, T., & Zhao, Z. (2011). Characterization of melanin isolated from a dark septate endophyte (DSE), Exophiala pisciphila. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 27, 2483–2489.
Suryanarayanan, T. S., Ravishankar, J. P., Venkatesan, G., & Murali, T. S. (2004). Characterization of the melanin pigment of a cosmopolitan fungal endophyte. Mycology Research, 108, 974–978.
Selvakumar, P., Rajasekar, S., Periasamy, K., & Raaman, N. (2008). Isolation and characterization of melanin pigment from Pleurotus cystidiosus (telomorph of Antromycopsis macrocarpa). World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 24, 2125–2131.
Ellis, D. H., & Griffiths, D. A. (1974). The location and analysis of melanins in the cell walls of some soil fungi. Canadian Journal of Microbiology, 20, 1379–1386.
Singh, A., & Bishnoi, N. R. (2012). Optimization of ethanol production from microwave alkali pretreated rice straw using statistical experimental designs by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Industrial Crops and Products, 37, 334–341.
Pereira, F. B., Guimarães, P. M. R., Teixeira, J. A., & Domingues, L. (2010). Optimization of low-cost medium for very high gravity ethanol fermentations by Saccharomyces cerevisiae using statistical experimental designs. Bioresource Technology, 101, 7856–7863.
Feng, Y. L., Li, W. Q., Wu, X. Q., Cheng, J. W., & Ma, S. Y. (2010). Statistical optimization of media for mycelial growth and exo-polysaccharide production by Lentinus edodes and a kinetic model study of two growth morphologies. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 49, 104–112.
Liu, J., Miao, S., Wen, X., & Sun, Y. (2009). Optimization of polysaccharides (ABP) extraction from the fruiting bodies of Agaricus blazei Murill using response surface methodology (RSM). Carbohydrate Polymer, 78, 704–709.
Wang, Y. X., & Lu, Z. X. (2004). Statistical optimization of media for extracellular polysaccharide by Pholiota squarrosa (Pers. ex Fr.) Quel. AS 5.245 under submerged cultivation. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 20, 39–47.
Kennedy, M., & Krouse, D. (1999). Strategies for improving fermentation medium performance: a review. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, 23, 456–475.
Xie, D. T., Wang, Y. Q., Kang, Y., Hu, Q. F., Su, N. Y., Huang, J. M., Che, C. T., & Guo, J. X. (2014). Microwave-assisted extraction of bioactive alkaloids from Stephania sinica. Separation and Purification Technology, 130, 173–181.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by Zhejiang Department of Science and Technology (Project No. 2015C32028), P.R. China.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Hailong Yang holds a PhD degree, Wenzhou University.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, M., Xiao, G., Thring, R.W. et al. Production and Characterization of Melanin by Submerged Culture of Culinary and Medicinal Fungi Auricularia auricula . Appl Biochem Biotechnol 176, 253–266 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-015-1571-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-015-1571-9