Oral administration of melanin for protection against radiation

Abstract

Methods and compositions are provided for alleviating and/or preventing one or more side effects associated with exposure to radiation in a subject exposed to radiation or at risk for exposure to radiation comprising oral administration to the subject of an amount of an edible source of melanin effective to alleviate a side effect associated with radiation.

1 . A method for alleviating and/or preventing one or more side effects associated with exposure to radiation in a subject exposed to radiation or at risk for exposure to radiation comprising oral administration to the subject of an amount of an edible source of melanin effective to alleviate a side effect associated with radiation. 
     
     
         2 . A method for increasing the survival rate of a plurality of subjects exposed to an amount of radiation likely to kill the plurality of subjects, comprising oral administration to each of the plurality of subjects of an amount of an edible source of melanin effective to increase the survival rate of the plurality of subjects exposed to the amount of radiation likely to kill the plurality of subjects. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein melanin is administered to the subject, or to the subjects, in an amount equivalent to at least 8 mg of purified melanin per kg of body weight of the subject. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the melanin is isolated or derived from a melanin-containing biological source where melanin constitutes at least 10% of the dry weight of the biological source, or melanin is provided by administering a melanin-containing biological source that comprises at least 10% melanin per dry weight of the biological source. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the biological source is a melanin-containing plant, cell, fungus or microorganism. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the biological source is grown in the presence of a melanin precursor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the melanin precursor is one or more of L-dopa (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanin), D-dopa, catechol, 5-hydroxyindole, tyramine, dopamine, tyrosine, cysteine, m-aminophenol, o-aminophenol, p-aminophenol, 4-aminocatechol, 2-hydroxyl-1,4-naphthaquinone, 4-metholcatechol, 3,4-dihydroxynaph halene, gallic acid, resorcinol, 2-chloroaniline, p-chloroanisole, 2-amino-p-cresol, 4,5-dihydroxynaphthalene, 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene, 2,7-disulfonic acid, o-cresol, m-cresol, and p-cresol. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the fungus is a melanin-containing mushroom. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the fungus is Auricularia auricular-judae. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein melanin is administered in an edible substance of at least 80 mg of edible substance per kg of body weight of the subject. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein melanin is administered as at least 80 mg of dry mushrooms per kg of body weight of the subject. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an internal organ of the subject is protected from radiation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the organ that is protected is one or more organ selected from the group consisting of bone marrow, liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the side effect associated with radiation is one or more of acute-nature nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, fever, cutaneous radiation syndrome, low blood cell count, infection due to low white blood cells, bleeding due to low platelets, anemia due to low red blood cells, or death. 
     
     
         15 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the source of the radiation is radiotherapy used for treatment of disease, radiation from a medical imaging device, radiation used for radiation surgery, a nuclear weapon, a nuclear reactor, high-altitude radiation. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the source of radiation is from a nuclear power plant. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the edible source of melanin comprises a drinkable suspension of melanin packaged for oral administration to a subject for alleviating and/or preventing one or more side effects associated with exposure of the subject to radiation, wherein the drinkable suspension comprises at least 500 mg melanin in a volume of at least 10 mL. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering one or more antibiotics to the subject or to the subjects. 
     
     
         24 . An edible source of melanin packaged for oral administration to a subject for alleviating and/or preventing one or more side effects associated with exposure of the subject to radiation, wherein the edible source provides melanin in an amount equivalent to at least 8 mg of purified melanin per kg of body weight of the subject or a drinkable suspension of melanin packaged for oral administration to a subject for alleviating and/or preventing one or more side effects associated with exposure of the subject to radiation, wherein the drinkable suspension comprises at least 500 mg melanin in a volume of at least 10 mL. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The drinkable suspension of  claim 2 , wherein the drinkable suspension comprises at least 500 mg melanin in a volume of at least 100 mL.