The Isolation of Melanin From Hair

Abstract

Melanin is a widely distributed pigment throughout the animal and plant kingdoms. The component responsible for brown and black color in hair is eumelanin. This material is composed of a cross-linked polymer matrix, the most important ingredients of which are indole molecules and protein, which is bound to this polymer. Formation of the pigment takes place in the melanocytes in the hair bulb. From here the eumelanin is transported to the cortex, where it is deposited as melanin granules with a length of 1 μm and a width of 0.5 μm. For detailed studies on bleached dark hairs it is necessary to isolate large quantities of melanin. Four different methods were used for the isolation of melanin from Chinese hair.