ABSTRACT
Cephalopoda belong to a class called Mollusca. The Cephalopods are represented by two major extant groups: Nautiloidea (nautilus) and Coleoidea. Cephalopod ink is composed of secretions from two glands. The ink sac with its ink gland produces a black ink containing melanin. Cephalopod ink is a combination of secretions from ink sac and funnel. The principal amine seen in the cephalopod ink is Catecholamines. Melanin is the most important pigment seen in cephalopod inks. It is produced from the amino acid tyrosine by a series of biochemical conversions. In recent times cephalopods ink has become a subject of investigation for its clinical applications In Chinese traditional medicine several health benefits to man has been attributed to cephalopod ink. Cephalopod inks, particularly squid ink is used in food processing as a natural colouring agent. Antimicrobial property of the cephalopod ink is well documented and there are several publications supporting this property.
