Biomolecules (Aug 2019)

Antioxidative Properties of Melanins and Ommochromes from Black Soldier Fly <i>Hermetia illucens</i>

  • Nina Ushakova,
  • Alexander Dontsov,
  • Natalia Sakina,
  • Alexander Bastrakov,
  • Mikhail Ostrovsky

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9090408
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 9
p. 408

Abstract

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A comparative study of melanin and ommochrome-containing samples, isolated from the black soldier fly (BSF) by enzymatic hydrolysis, alkaline and acid alcohol extraction or by acid hydrolysis, was carried out. Melanin was isolated both as a melanin-chitin complex and as a water-soluble melanin. Acid hydrolysis followed by delipidization yielded a more concentrated melanin sample, the electron spin resonance (ESR) signal of which was 2.6 × 1018 spin/g. The ommochromes were extracted from the BSF eyes with acid methanol. The antiradical activity of BSF melanins and ommochromes was determined by the method of quenching of luminol chemiluminescence. It has been shown that delipidization of water-soluble melanin increases its antioxidant properties. A comparison of the antioxidant activity of BSF melanins and ommochromes in relation to photoinduced lipid peroxidation was carried out. The ESR characteristics of native and oxidized melanins and ommochromes were studied. It is assumed that H. illucens adult flies can be a useful source of natural pigments with antioxidant properties.

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