Parrots (Psittaciformes) harbor unusually bright, non-carotenoid, feather p
igments. We successfully extracted and purified a sufficient quantity of pi
gment from the red plumage of the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) for a partial c
hemical analysis. The extracts were analyzed by HPLC coupled with UV-VIS an
d mass spectroscopy before and after total hydrogenation. We found at least
four pigment components. We propose a linear polyenal structure comparable
with the molecules tetradecahexenal, hexadecaheptenal, octadecaoctenal and
eicosanonenal. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.