Photoprotective activity of melanin preparations from black yeast-like fungus during UV irradiation of human skin: dependence on the concentration.

The effect of melanin solutions on the skin exposed to UV irradiation (1,050 kJ/m(2)) depended on its dose and varied from photoprotection (0.005 mg/ml) to photosensitization and phototoxicity (burn, 0.1 mg/ml). These results suggest that doses of melanin preparations should be empirically selected to achieve optimum photoprotective effect.