A review on the application and effect of carotenoids with respect to canthaxanthin in the culture of fishes and crustaceans

Abstract

Fisheries sector serves as a substantial source of income and employment for a huge number of individuals around the world and it comparatively remains a crucial source of food and nutrition. Culture of aquatic species for food and ornamental purpose has been on increasing trend. High-performance feeds are formulated for the growth and progress of the cultured animals, usually supplemented with carotenoids of natural and synthetic origin. The market acceptability of ornamental fishes depends on pigmentation, one of the considerable attributes for determining quality. Carotenoids are a group of fat-soluble pigments broadly distributed in nature and are well recognized for their bright red, yellow, and orange colours. Studies on these carotenoids over decades have shown that these carotenoids are beneficial for the fish and crustacean aquaculture and also in the ornamental trade by imparting pigmentation. Canthaxanthin falls under the category of red keto-carotenoid and is one of the most important xanthophylls in the business perspective due to its extensive application in the field, next to astaxanthin. A large portion of the commercial canthaxanthin available in the market are chemically synthesized as the naturally available canthaxanthin are found in very lower concentrations. In addition, to a lesser extent, they are also implicated in the growth performances, digestion and as an anti-oxidant. This review updates the ongoing advancement on canthaxanthin on the dietary utilisation, storage, pigmentation and other enhanced growth performances on the aquaculture of food fish, crustacean and ornamental fishes.