This also invites broader reassessment of catechol bioactivity -and the plausibility that any observed therapeutic effects of catechols may not stem from parent molecules, but rather from transformation products formed under physiological conditions. Indeed, the observed browning here likely reflects catechol autoxidation, reaction with amines, and polymerization into melaninlike structures with distinctive colouration -which is unsurprising given the natural diversity of precursors and structurally distinct compounds within the broad melanin family . Interestingly, therapeutic melanins are gaining recognition for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties, overlapping significantly with the bioactivities often attributed to catechols . For example, melanin from Inonotus obliquus (i.e. chaga melanin) enhances insulin sensitivity and lipid oxidation in HepG2, C2C12, and 3T3-L1 cells and obese mice , while sepia ink melanin ameliorates insulin signaling in streptozotocin-treated diabetic mice, increasing glycolytic and oxidative enzyme activities, and ameliorating hepatic antioxidant levels. . Palm date fruit melanin extract was found to inhibit human salivary α-amylase and α-glucosidase in simple enzyme assays, also demonstrating potential anti-diabetic properties . These activities are not confined to naturally-occurring melanin extracts, as melanin-chitosan nanoparticles were recently used to deliver dapagliflozin in NRK-52E renal tubular cells and diabetic nephropathic mice -where the melanin constituent was found to be an effective radical scavenger and antioxidant . These findings suggest that melanin-like polymers formed during catechol transformation could play functional roles, potentially contributing to the therapeutic effects often attributed to catechols themselves.