Carotenoid Pigments Composition of Two Commonly Discarded Decapod Crustaceans in Grand Sole and the Galician-Northern Portugal Coast Fisheries

ABSTRACT

Carotenoid composition of two commonly discarded decapod crustaceans, Liocarcinus depurator and Munida spp., was assessed in different catching months. Total carotenoid content ranged between 7 ± 1 and 22.4 ± 0.7 μg g^?1. Pigment separation was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector. Astaxanthin accounted for 21 to 50% of total carotenoids, and the remaining percentage corresponded mainly to esters of astaxanthin. The fatty acid profile of carotenoid extracts for each species was evaluated. Overall total unsaturated fatty acids content ranged from 406 to 1,631 μg g^?1. Both species were rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which on average represented 68% of total unsaturated fatty acids. Therefore, the use of these low value by-catch species as a source of carotenoid pigments and fatty acids (e.g., for aquaculture formulations) is a possible alternative to their disposal at sea.