Context:

• The mycological laboratory of the Department of Botany, Goa University reported the discovery of a new pigment from local wild mushrooms.

Details about the pigment:

• It is a new suphur-rich melanin biopigment of immense bioindustrial, biomedical (anti-cancer, anti-tumour) and biotechnological potential from local Roen alamis (wild variety of Goan mushrooms that grows on termite hills) or Termitomyces species.
• People of Goa who consume these mushrooms are actually eating sulphur-rich melanin. We declare it as world’s first sulphur-rich edible melanin. Its structure is similar to black pigment found in human hair.

Source:TH