The use of high-performance liquid chromatography for studying pigmentation.

The use of HPLC has established that chickens possess unexpected metabolic abilities to acylate, deacylate, reduce, and oxidize carotenoids. The use of HPLC permits more consistent and more economic pigmentation of carcasses and of egg yolks. Hopefully, the use of HPLC will raise pigmentation from an art to a science. Apparently, HPLC will be an essential tool in terms of future efforts to understand and master the process of poultry pigmentation.