[Effect of melanins from black yeast fungi on cultured human cells. I. Proliferation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts].

Results of screening of the influence exerted by yeast black melanin on the proliferation of human skin keratinocytes and embryonic fibroblasts are presented. The optimal concentration of the investigated melanins was found to be within 0.005 and 0.0001 mg/ml. 17 samples of DHN-melanin from black yeast and 2 commercial samples of [symbol: see text]OPA-melanin (natural and synthetic) were investigated. It was established that keratinocyte proliferation was inhibited by 3 black yeast melanin samples; the influence of other 14 samples was the same as in the control. Keratinocyte proliferation was stimulated only by a commercial sample of natural [symbol: see text]OPA-melanin at concentration 0.005 mg/ml. The synthetic melanin at concentrations 0.005 and 0.001 mg/ml inhibited keratinocyte proliferation. Of the 17 investigated black yeast melanin samples, only one sample stimulated fibroblast proliferation at concentration 0.005 mg/ml. Three other samples inhibited the proliferation; of these one sample did it at all used concentrations, and two samples at concentration 0.0001 mg/ml. The rest 13 samples of black yeast DHN-melanins and the synthetic [symbol: see text]OPA-melanin did not differ in either action from the control.