eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 0973-1245 2026-03-30 23 1 411 421 10.13005/bbra/3508 58619 article Jaspal Kaur Oberoi 1 Nazia Tambat 2 Shaiba Shaikh 1 Atoshi Tripathi 1 Shilpa Tambe 1 Nisha Parween Shaikh 2 Department of Microbiology, M.C.E Society’s, Abeda Inamdar Senior College, Pune, India. Department of Chemistry, M.C.E Society’s, Abeda Inamdar Senior College, Pune, India. Melanin pigments are versatile biomolecules with significant pharmaceutical, environmental, and biotechnological relevance. In this study, rhizospheric soil sample from campus was screened on tyrosine agar medium to isolate melanin-producing microorganisms. The most efficient isolate was identified as Pseudomonas species through biochemical characterization. Production parameters, including L-tyrosine concentration (0.1–1%), nitrogen sources, and vitamin supplementation, were systematically optimized to enhance pigment yield in which the 1% L tyrosine and yeast extract as nitrogen source showed high pigmentation production. The extracted melanin was purified and characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, confirming its eumelanin nature. The biofunctional potential of the pigment was assessed through antimicrobial assays against (Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Candida albicans), antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging) and heavy metal chelation. The Pseudomonas-derived melanin exhibited strong antioxidant activity, good antimicrobial efficacy, excellent chelation capacity for lead and cadmium. These findings highlight microbial melanin as a promising bioresource with multifunctional applications. Refinement of extraction and purification protocols may further augment its bioactivity, enabling targeted utilization in pharmaceutical, environmental, and industrial sectors. https://www.biotech-asia.org/vol23no1/microbial-melanin-from-pseudomonas-species-extraction-characterization-and-multifunctional-applications/ Antioxidant activity; Heavy metal bioremediation; Microbial melanin; Pseudomonas species; Rhizospheric soil microorganisms