Extraction, Characterization, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Carotenoids from the Shell Waste of Arabian Red Shrimp Aristeus alcocki, Ramadan 1938

Abstract

Shrimp processing waste is the single largest industrial waste in India causing diverse environmental problems. Extraction of carotenoids from the shell waste of the Arabian red shrimp Aristeus alcocki was investigated using different organic solvents, and vegetable oils, under wet and dry conditions, with and without deproteinization. The highest carotenoid yield was obtained with non-deproteinized wet waste extracted using acetone. The carotenoid yield was found to be double that of Pandalus borealis shell waste, which is currently used as one of the commercial sources of natural astaxanthin. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) analysis of the carotenoid extract showed that it contains free astaxanthin, astaxanthin monoester and astaxanthin diester in the ratio 1:1:2. gas chromatography (GC) analysis of the fatty acids esterified with astaxanthin revealed that saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are in the ratio 5:3:2 in monoester, whereas in diester they are in the ratio 4:3:3. The main fatty acids in monoester and diester are palmitic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid and � -3 PUFAs: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The in vitro antioxidant activity of the carotenoid extract showed significant hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, superoxide anion scavenging activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation at nanogram levels. The carotenoid extract significantly reduced carageenan induced paw edema in mice, percentage inhibition being 47.83 and 67.11 percent at astaxanthin concentrations of 0.5 mg/kg body weight and 1.0 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The inhibition of inflammation at 1.0 mg/kg body weight was greater than that produced by the standard reference drug diclofenac. The strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities exhibited by the carotenoid extract of the shrimp shell might be due to the combined action of astaxanthin and � -3 PUFAs present in the astaxanthin esters.