Extraction of Astaxanthin Plgment from Crawfish Waste Using a Soy Oil Process

The carotenoid astaxanthin has been extracted from processed crawfish waste using a soy oil process. Analyses have included pigment quantitative analysis, effects of protease enzymes on pigment release, use of ethoxyquin as an antioxidant stabilizer agent, and studies of the ratio of added soybean oil to crawfish waste (v/w) for optimal extraction. Hydrolysis of crawfish waste with a commercial protease, Milezyme® 8X resulted in a 58% increase in astaxanthin release. Maximal pigment extraction and oil recovery was obtained from a 1:1 (v/w) ratio of oil to crawfish waste. The astaxanthin‐enriched oil (60 mg/100g oil), obtained from a 1:10 (v/w) ratio, or 3:10 (v/w) after the second stage of extraction, has application for a variety of pigmentation purposes, notably in aquatic diets for salmonid fishes.