Fuente: PubMed "nature biotechnology" 3 Biotech. 2026 Apr;16(4):111. doi: 10.1007/s13205-026-04734-x. Epub 2026 Mar 5.ABSTRACTThe present study aims to explore the biological and functional properties of melanin derived from fungus Thermothelomyces hinnuleus SP1. Fungal melanin had detrimental effect on the tested bacterial strains with a zone size ranging from 18 ± 1-35.67 ± 2.08 mm and a minimal inhibitory concentration ranging from 0.97-1.95 µg/ml respectively. It exhibited significant DPPH radical scavenging activity (27 ± 1.88-86 ± 2.56%), temperature-dependent superoxide dismutase activity (19.8 ± 3.45-87.82 ± 1.31%) and catalase-mimetic activity (59.48 ± 1.35%). Moreover, it showed biocompatibility (94.9 ± 3.18-98.83 ± 1.83% cell viability) with HaCaT cell lines, while it had a dose dependent anticancer effect on Hela, MCF and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC50 values of 54 ± 1.7, 35 ± 1.5 and 60 ± 2 µg/ml respectively. Fungal melanin also exhibited photoprotection property with a SPF values of 10.67. These findings indicate that the fungal melanin obtained from Thermothelomyces hinnuleus SP1 possesses significant biological properties including photoprotective, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer and biocompatible activities. Such attributes underscore its potential as a multifunctional natural agent, particularly for applications in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04734-x.PMID:41798223 | PMC:PMC12963547 | DOI:10.1007/s13205-026-04734-x