In view of the poor water-solubility of melanin, this study extracted and purified melanin from the waste apricot shell and modified it with amino acids. The results showed that arginine and DL-arginine had the best modification effects, and the water-solubility was improved obviously. The best modification quality ratio was 1:4.5 and 1:1.5, respectively; then the stability, water?solubility and antioxidant properties of melanin before and after arginine and DL-arginine modification were compared. After modification with arginine and DL-arginine, the stability of melanin in the kernel and shell of apricot had no significant change, water solubility was improved, and it still had strong antioxidant and bacteriostatic effects. Finally, the dyeing performance of arginine modified melanin in apricot kernel shell was investigated and the optimal staining conditions were determined as follows: dyeing temperature 60 ℃, mass concentration of arginine modified melanin in apricot kernel shell 0.08 mg/mL, bath ratio 1:10, staining 4 times. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of efficient natural food?additives and colorants with rich sources and non-toxicity.