Effects of Dietary Astaxanthin on Body Astaxanthin, Growth, and Survival of Penaeus monodon Postlarvae

Abstract

Diets supplemented with 0, 80, and 240mg astaxanthin kg^(-1) were fed to tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) postlarvae for 4 weeks to compare their growth, survival, and concentration and various forms of body astaxanthin. Free astaxanthin (FA), monoester astaxanthin (MA), diester astaxanthin (DA), and total astaxanthin (TA) of all shrimps decreased with time. In the fourth week, as compared to the control, the supplement of dietary astaxanthin at 80mg kg^(-1) resulted in higher content of body FA and TA, consequently higher survival and growth. Further supplement up to 240mg kg^(-1) neither increase content of all forms of body astaxanthin nor survival and growth. FA was more sensitive to dietary astaxanthin levels than DA and TA and reflected its difference in each weekly sampling. In turn, FA had more influence than DA and TA on growth and survival. MA had no correlation with both growth and survival at all samplings. The fraction of either esterified astaxanthin (MA or DA) to TA remained more stable than unesterified astaxanthin (FA) with respect to dietary astaxanthin level.