@inbook{afd5d0c6db4346c78525b8ac56f2f440,
title = "Methods for extracting and analyzing carotenoids from bird feathers",
abstract = "Carotenoid pigments serve many endogenous functions in organisms, but some of the more fascinating are the external displays of carotenoids in the colorful red, orange and yellow plumages of birds. Since Darwin, biologists have been curious about the selective advantages (e.g., mate attraction) of having such ornate features, and, more recently, advances in biochemical methods have permitted researchers to explore the composition and characteristics of carotenoid pigments in feathers. Here we review contemporary methods for extracting and analyzing carotenoids in bird feathers, with special attention to the difficulties of removal from the feather keratin matrix, the possibility of feather carotenoid esterification and the strengths and challenges of different analytical methods like high-performance liquid chromatography and Raman spectroscopy. We also add an experimental test of current common extraction methods (e.g., mechanical, thermochemical) and find significant differences in the recovery of specific classes of carotenoids, suggesting that no single approach is best for all pigment or feather types.",
keywords = "Avian, Canary xanthophyll, High performance liquid chromatography, Ketocarotenoids, Mechanical extraction, Plumage, Raman spectroscopy, Saponification, Thermochemical extraction",
author = "Toomey, {Matthew B.} and Smith, {Dustin J.} and Gonzales, {Desirae M.} and McGraw, {Kevin J.}",
note = "Funding Information: The preparation of this chapter was supported the University of Tulsa Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Faculty Development Summer Fellowship (M.B.T.), the University of Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge program (D.J.S., D.M.G.) and the National Science Foundation (IOS 2037739). We thank Jocelyn Hudon for sharing his thoughts and advice on feather extraction methods and Eleanore Wurtzel for helpful comments on the chapter. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Inc.",
year = "2022",
month = jan,
doi = "10.1016/bs.mie.2022.01.015",
language = "English (US)",
isbn = "9780323999755",
series = "Methods in Enzymology",
publisher = "Academic Press Inc",
pages = "459--497",
editor = "Wurtzel, {Eleanore T.}",
booktitle = "Carotenoids",
}