Abstract: This study aimed to develop a method to prepare melanin from black-bone silky fowl muscle by stepwise enzymatic hydrolysis with protamex followed by acid protease. The optimal conditions for protamex hydrolysis of black-bone silky fowl muscle were determined by one-factor-at-a-time method as follows: enzyme dosage 3.5%, pH 6.5, and temperature 50 ℃ for a hydrolysis duration of 3 h. The subsequent acid protease hydrolysis was carried out under previously reported conditions. It was found that more melanin with a lower protein level was prepared from black-bone silky fowl muscle by the combination of protamex and acid protease yield when compared with their individual use. Moreover, melanin from black-bone silky fowl muscle could powerfully protect VC against UV radiation damage.

Key words: stepwise enzymatic hydrolysis, UV-VIS spectroscopy, vitamin C