Pure fungal melanin: green bioproduction, characterization, niosomal formulation, radiolabeling, and in vivo biodistribution as a probe for photothermal therapy of cancer

Key Points

• In vivo biodistribution profiles revealed that the radiolabeled niosomal formulation is effective for targeted delivery.
• The study indicates that pure fungal melanin is suitable for green bioproduction, enhancing its applicability in healthcare.
• Fish models were utilized for assessing the effectiveness of the formulation in photothermal cancer treatments.
• Significant implications for using bioproduced melanin in tumor targeting and therapeutic applications exist.