Melanoids

Melanoids is a term that appears in several disciplines to refer to pigment-related products connected to melanin chemistry. It is not a single, standardized term and its meaning depends on the context in which it is used.

In food science and chemistry, melanoids is often used informally to refer to melanoidins, brown polymers formed by the Maillard reaction when reducing sugars react with amino compounds during heating. Melanoidins are heterogeneous and poorly defined at the molecular level; they contribute color, aroma, and some flavor attributes to foods such as bread crusts, coffee, and roasted meats.

In materials science and bioinspired research, some authors use melanoids to describe synthetic, melanin-like polymers designed to imitate natural melanin. These melanoids can exhibit broadband UV absorption, radical scavenging activity, and electronic properties, and are explored for coatings, sensors, and energy storage applications.

In biology and popular culture, the term has appeared as a nonstandard label for organisms with heavy melanin pigmentation or as the name of a fictional group. It is not used as a formal taxonomic category and tends to reflect context-specific usage rather than a defined scientific class.

Terminology notes: the most widely used term for the Maillard reaction–derived browning products is melanoidin. When encountered, melanoids generally refer to informal, context-dependent uses and should be clarified by the author. See also melanoidins, melanin, Maillard reaction.