Isolation, purification, and anti-aging activity of melanin from Lachnum singerianum

Intracellular melanin from Lachnum singerianum YM296 (LIM) was obtained by the method of microwave-assisted extraction. On the basis of single factor experiment, the optimum microwave-assisted extraction conditions of LIM using Box-Behnken design were as follows: NaOH concentration, 1.05 mol/L; ratio of raw material to liquid ratio, 1:14.72 (g/mL); microwave time, 118.70 s; and microwave power, 320 W. Under these conditions, the extraction yield of LIM was 11.08 %, and 40.43 % higher than that of extraction by alkali extraction and acid precipitation. The results showed that microwave-assisted extraction could increase the extraction yield of LIM. Three homogeneous components were fractionated from LIM by Sephadex G-15 column. LIM-a was the main homogeneous component, accounting for 75.7 % of the total content of the homogeneous components. Aged mice model were induced by injecting D-galactose, and the aged mice were given LIM-a of different dosages, respectively. The results showed that LIM-a can significantly increase body weight, thymus indexes, and spleen indexes of the aged mice; effectively elevate the levels of SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT; and decrease the level of MDA in mice liver homogenate, brain homogenate, and serum, indicating that LIM-a had significant anti-aging activity.