The Protective Role of Natural Melanin Nanoparticles Under UVC Exposure

Ultraviolet C (UVC) irradiation may cause serious cellular and molecular tissue damage or ocular problems when it directly exposed to living organisms without filtering. Melanin is an organic UV absorbing biomaterial, that has no cytotoxicity or any harmful effects on human health. This study focused on UV blocking ability of natural melanin nanoparticles (MNP) against the damaging effects of UVC irradiation on the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia Coli (E. coli). Experiments showed that existence of MNPs enhanced cell viability of E. coli bacteria when exposed to different application time of UVC irradiation.