NEURONAL PIGMENTS: SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN BRAIN MELANIN

Abstract— A method has been established for the characterization of synthetic melanins obtained from dopamine, norepinephrine, and structurally related compounds which permits the identification of the precursor substrate of the melanin. This is done by interpreting the absorption spectra and the first derivative curves of these melanins solubilized in sodium borohydride. Using this method, the melanin pigment obtained from the substantia nigra of human brain has been shown to be very similar to dopamine‐melanin and not DOPA‐ or norepinephrine‐melanins.