| Catecholamines (like dopamine, epinephrine, or norepinephrine) can serve as precursors for the formation of melanin-like pigments. Polysaccharides have been observed to enhance the oxidation of these catecholamines, particularly in the presence of redox-sensitive ions like Cu (II), leading to the formation of darkly colored substances. In this portion of the research, we investigated the effects of: (1) reaction time, (2) type of polysaccharide, (3) type of cation and (4) concentration of all reagents involved. These parameters were evaluated to determine the conditions that would yield the highest amount of polysaccharide-associated pigment. Following the reactions, the pigments can be centrifuged or dialyzed, and washed with water and lyophilized. Pigmented materials were evaluated and characterized using UV_Vis spectroscopy, RP-HPLC, SEC, AAS and FT_IR analyses. |
