Biocompatibility investigations of synthetic melanin and melanin analogue for application in bioelectronics

Abstract Biocompatibility tests were performed for melanin synthesized in water (W‐Mel) and dimethylsulfoxide (D‐Mel) aiming to evaluate its potential for bioelectronics application. In vitro biocompatibility of melanin was assessed using crystal violet assays with fibroblast cells (NIH3T3) cultured with W‐Mel and D‐Mel extracts in various dilutions. The results show that a high concentration of melanin kills the cells. However, after periods of 48 h incubation, cell viability is significantly favored after treatment with D‐Mel at low concentrations (1:16, 1:32 and 1:64), as opposed to treatment with W‐Mel extracts. Cellular adhesion tests show that fibroblast cells adhere to melanin thin films. These results show that D‐Mel may be an interesting material for application in bioelectronic devices targeted for implants. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry