Pigment chemistry: the red sweat of the hippopotamus.
Within a few minutes of perspiration, the colourless, viscous sweat of the hippopotamus gradually turns red, and then brown as the pigment polymerizes. Here we isolate and characterize the pigments responsible for this colour reaction. The unstable red and orange pigments turn out to be non-benzenoid aromatic compounds that are unexpectedly acidic and have antibiotic as well as sunscreen activity.
Saikawa
Yoko
Y
Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan.
Hashimoto
Kimiko
K
Nakata
Masaya
M
Yoshihara
Masato
M
Nagai
Kiyoshi
K
Ida
Motoyasu
M
Komiya
Teruyuki
T
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D003116:Color; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009093:Mucus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D013542:Sweat / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001704:Biopolymers; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D013473:Sunscreening Agents