Abstract
The carotenoid astaxanthin has strong antioxidant properties with beneficial effects for various degenerative diseases. This carotenoid is produced by some microalgae species when cultivated in particular conditions, and, interestingly, it is a predominant carotenoid in aquatic animals throughout a broad range of taxa. Recently, astaxanthin was detected in the eggs of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula in relevant concentrations when this organism was maintained in culture. These results have paved the way for deeper research into astaxanthin production by this species, particularly in regards to how astaxanthin production can be modulated by diet. Results showed that the highest content of astaxanthin in eggs was observed in sea urchins fed on a diet enriched with Spirulina platensis. This result was confirmed by the high antioxidant activity recorded in the egg extracts of these animals. Our results suggest that (i) the sea urchin A. lixula is able to synthesize astaxanthin from precursors obtained from food, and (ii) it is possible to modulate the astaxanthin accumulation in sea urchin eggs by modifying the proportions of different food ingredients provided in their diet. This study demonstrates the large potential of sea urchin cultivation for the eco-sustainable production of healthy supplements for nutraceutical applications.
Highlights
Marine photosynthetic organisms produce secondary metabolites that can be considered high-value bioproducts with beneficial effects for human health
Astaxanthin concentration increases by 750% (22 ± 4.8 μg mg−1 of S+ vs. 2.6 ± 1.8 μg mg−1 of Wt1 of dry weight of eggs) when sea urchins are fed with a diet enriched with S. platensis, in comparison to wild sea urchins
Our study stresses the fact that the cultivation of Arbacia lixula with controlled feeding strongly enhances the astaxanthin content in the sea urchins’ eggs
Summary
Marine photosynthetic organisms produce secondary metabolites that can be considered high-value bioproducts with beneficial effects for human health. Algae-derived products possess antioxidant properties, as well as anticancer and antimicrobial activities [1]. The red ketocarotenoid astaxanthin (3,30 -dihydroxy-carotene-4,40 -dione) is known as a highly biologically active molecule, and for this reason, it is significantly dominating the health care and aquaculture market. The high astaxanthin market request is due to its multiple known health benefits, from its pronounced antioxidant activity, to the most recent discovery of astaxanthin’s roles as an antidepressant, and in the prevention of UVA-induced skin photoaging [2,3]. Commercial astaxanthin is mainly chemically synthesized, but it is extracted from natural producers, such as the green algae. Among the aforementioned natural sources, only astaxanthin produced from H. pluvialis is accepted and guaranteed for human consumption.
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