Astaxanthin extraction from shrimp waste by lactic fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis of the carotenoprotein complex

Natural carotenoids are an alternative to synthetic orange-red pigments. They are present in crustaceans as a protein-pigment complex. In order to extract this highly unstable pigment, crustacean waste must be stabilized; lactic fermentation Is a simple and environmentally friendly method to achieve this goal. Shrimp wastes were inoculated with Lactobacillus bacterial cultures. Carotenoids were then extracted with an organic solvent system. Protein-pigment splitting was carried out using a mixture of 4 commercial enzymes; and the protein was separated from the pigment by ultraflitration. Electrophoretograms showed that the pigment was attached to a 265-kDa protein. Splitting the protein-pigment complex allows studies on pigment absorption, stability and application.