## 3 Results  
### Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry of the Melanins from Three Ochroconis Species  
The melanins from the three _Ochroconis_ species yielded similar pyrograms with hundreds of pyrolysis products when pyrolyzed at 500 \({}^{\circ}\)C (Figure 1A-C). A selection of major or representative pyrolysis products are listed in Table 1. The major compounds, common to the three pyrolyzates, corresponded to fatty acids. Peaks were identified as hexadecanoic acid (peak 75) and octadecationoic, octadecenoic, and octadecanoic acids, (peaks 89-91, respectively). Less abundant fatty acid peaks were assigned to tetradecanoic and pentadecanoic acids (peaks 63, 68), the methyl esters of hexadecanoic, octadecationoic, octadecenoic, and octadecanoic acids (peaks 74, 84, 85, and 88, respectively), hexadecanoic acid hexadecyl, and octadecyl esters (peaks 117 and 120) in addition to hydroxyoctadecanoic acid \(\upgamma\)-lactone (peak 99). Figure 1: Pyrograms of the melanins from three _Ochroconis_ species pyrolyzed at 500 \({}^{\circ}\)C. Peaks refer to Table 1. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Peak** & **Compound** & **Peak** & **Compound** \\ \hline
1 & Methylfuran & 61 & Methylfluorene \\
2 & Benzene & 62 & Diketodipyrrole \\
3 & Pyridine & 63 & Tetradecanoic acid \\
4 & Pyrrole & 64 & _n_-Undecylbenzene \\
5 & Toluene & 65 & _n_-Octadecene \\
6 & Furfural & 66 & _n_-Octadecane \\
7 & Methylpyrrole & 67 & Hexadecanone \\
8 & Methylpyrrole & 68 & Pentadecanoic acid \\
9 & Methylpyridine & 69 & _n_-Dodecylbenzene \\
10 & _n_-Ethylbenzene & 70 & _n_-Nonadecene \\
11 & Styrene & 71 & _n_-Nonadecane \\
12 & Dimethylpyridine & 72 & Hexadecanenitrile \\
13 & Dimethylpyrrole & 73 & Tetradecylfuran \\
14 & _n_-Propylbenzene & 74 & Hexadecanoic acid methyl ester \\
15 & Benzaldehyde & 75 & Hexadecanica acid \\
16 & Methylfurral & 76 & Hexahydro-(methylpropyl)-pyrrolo-pyrazolinedone \\
17 & Phenol & 77 & Diketopyrazine (from Pro-Val dipeptide) \\
18 & Trimethylbenzene & 78 & Diethoxy-tetrahydro-dipyrrolopyrazine \\
19 & _n_-Butylbenzene & 79 & _n_-Eicosene \\
20 & Methylpropylbenzene & 80 & _n_-Eicosane \\
21 & Methylphenol & 81 & Diketopyrazine (from Pro-Val dipeptide) \\
22 & Methylphenol & 82 & Octadecenitrile \\
23 & _n_-Undecane & 83 & _n_-Heneicosene \\
24 & Benzyl nitrile & 84 & Octadecaniotic acid methyl ester \\
25 & _n_-Pentylbenzene & 85 & Octadeconic acid methyl ester \\
26 & _n_-Ethylphenol & 86 & Octadecanitrile \\
27 & Methylbutylbenzene & 87 & _n_-Heneicosane \\
28 & _n_-Dodecene & 88 & Octadecanoic acid methyl ester \\
29 & _n_-Dodecane & 89 & Octadecadiene acid \\
30 & Naphthalene & 90 & Octadecenoic acid \\
31 & Dianhydroglucopyranoside & 91 & Octadecanoic acid \\
32 & Vinylphenol & 92 & Hexadecanamide \\
33 & Benzenproppanenitrile & 93 & _n_-Docose \\
34 & _n_-Hexylbenzene & 94 & _n_-Docose \\
35 & Methylpentylbenzene & 95 & _n_-Pentadecylbenzene \\
36 & Picolinamide & 96 & _n_-Tricosene \\
37 & _n_-Tridecene & 97 & _n_-Tricosane \\
38 & _n_-Tridecane & 98 & _n_-Hexadecylbenzene \\
39 & Indole & 99 & Hydroxyoctadecanoic acid \(\gamma\)-lactone \\
40 & Methylnaphthalene & 100 & Octadecenamide \\
41 & _n_-Hepylylbenzene & 101 & Octadecanamide \\
42 & Methylhexylbenzene & 102 & _n_-Heptadecylbenzene \\
43 & _n_-Tetradecene & 103 & Hexahydro-(phenylmethyl)-pyrrolo-pyrazolinedone \\
44 & _n_-Tetradecane & 104 & \(N\),_N_-Dimethyl-octadecenamide \\
45 & Methylindole & 105 & \(N\),_N_-Dimethyl-octadecanamide \\
46 & Dimethylnaphthalene & 106 & Docosanenitrile \\
47 & Phenylhexanone & 107 & Bis-(ethylhexyl)-phthalate \\
48 & _n_-Octylbenzene & 108 & Oxoheptadecylpyrrolidine \\
49 & Phenylpyridine & 109 & Tricosanetitrile \\
50 & _n_-Pentadecene & 110 & Tetracosanetitrile \\
51 & _n_-Pentadecane & 111 & Oxooctadecadienylpyrrolidine \\
52 & Dimethylindole & 112 & Oxooctadecenylpyrrolidine \\
53 & Phenylfuran & 113 & Oxooctadecylpyrrolidine \\
54 & Naphthalene & 114 & Squalene \\
55 & _n_-Nonylbenzene & 115 & Anthiaergosta-1,5,7,9,22-pentaene \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}