ASTACENE AND ASTAXANTHIN 



233 



TABLE 49 



MODE OF OCCURRENCE OF ASTAXANTHIN IN NATURE* 



Mode of Occurrence 

 Epiphasic ester 



Free pigment 



phromoproteid 

 blue-black 

 green 

 blue 



olive-brown or blue 

 violet red 

 olive-brown 



Source 

 Astacus gammarus, hypodermis 



* Beryx decadactylus, skin 



* Carassius auratits, skin 

 Chicken retina 

 Euglena heliorubescens 

 Haematococciis pluvialis 



* Perca fltiviatilis, fins 

 Phasianus colchiciis 'Rosen' 



* Sebastes marinus, skin 



* Balaenoptera musculus, fat 

 Calanus finmarchicus (partly esterified) 

 Maja squinado, eggs 



Phasianus colchicus 

 Regalecus glesne, liver 

 Salmo irideus, eggs 

 Salmo trutta 



Astacus gammarus, shell 



Astacus gammarus , eggs (ovoverdin) 



* Heferocope saliens 

 Gammarus pulex 

 Dendrodoa grossularia ■ 

 * Lophius piscatorms 



* In the cases marked *, only astacene was isolated. It is not yet known for certain 

 whether astacene is the natural pigment or whether it is formed from astaxanthin during 

 the process of isolation. 



Preparation of Astacene front Lobster Shells^^ 



The shells of freshly killed animals are covered with 2N hydrochloric acid and 

 left to stand until they have turned red. They are then washed with water and the 

 hypodermis aie separated. The pigment is then extracted with acetone at room 

 temperature, and transferred into petroleum ether by dilution of the extract with 

 water. The petroleum ether solution is wa.shed with water and with 90% methanol, 

 diluted with 2N sodium hydroxide and sufficient ethanol to produce a homogeneous 

 solution, and left to stand in the dark at room temperature for 5 hours. After this 

 period, sufi&cient wa^er is added to produce two layers. The ethanolic layer is 

 separated, covered with a little petrol, and the astacene is precipitated by careful 

 acidification %\dth acetic acid. The pigment is washed with hot water, dissolved in a 

 small amount of highly purified pyridine and crystallised by addition of a little 

 water. From 29 animals (12.8 kg Uac weight), the yield of thrice recny^stallised 

 astacene was (i.265 g. 



Preparation of Astaxanthin from Lobster Eggs^'' 



2.5 Kg of lobster eggs are crushed in a porcelain mortar, with the addition of 

 acetone and solid carbon dioxide. The crushed mass is filtered and repeatedly 

 References p. 2^3-255. 



