Abstract:A method for the purification of melanin extracted from squid ink was introduced in this paper. After removing most associated impurities by acid washing and concentrated acid hydrolysis, DMSO was added in order to dissolve the melanin completely, then the melanin was precipitated by adding acetone due to the change of polarity in the solvent system. Finally, recrystallization was repeated for three times and refined melanin pigment was obtained. Besides, the physical and chemical properties of the refined melanin were determined, including ultraviolet-visible and infrared (IR) spectra. The results revealed that the melanin is an irregular high-polymer consisting of indole structure.