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Production and Characterization of Melanin by Submerged Culture of Culinary and Medicinal Fungi Auricularia auricula

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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.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Zhejiang Department of Science and Technology (Project No. 2015C32028), P.R. China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Chashan University Town, Wenzhou, 325035, China

    Min Zhang, Wan Chen, Huabin Zhou & Hailong Yang

  2. Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Chemical and Biological Processing Technology of Farm Products, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, 318 Liuhe Road, Hangzhou, 310023, China

    Gongnian Xiao

  3. Joint Research Institute of Ecology and Environment, Wenzhou University and University of Northern British Columbia, Canada, Wenzhou, China, 325035

    Ronald W. Thring

  4. Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada, V2N4Z9

    Ronald W. Thring

Authors
  1. Min Zhang
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  2. Gongnian Xiao
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  3. Ronald W. Thring
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  4. Wan Chen
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  5. Huabin Zhou
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  6. Hailong Yang
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Correspondence to Hailong Yang.

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Hailong Yang holds a PhD degree, Wenzhou University.

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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

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-015-1571-9

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