Extraction of astaxanthin from European green crabs

The aim of this project is to limit the expansion and growth of EGCs in Danish sea waters by exploiting it as a food source and/or resource for extraction of valuable food ingredients such as protein and astaxanthin (ASTX). ASTX is a carotenoid found naturally in several living organisms (e.g. shrimps, ECGs, green microalgae). Humans are unable to produce the compound, but it can be provided via food or dietary supplements. ASTX is an extremely powerful antioxidant with potentially beneficial physiological effects when consumed by humans (e.g. anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory). The molecular structure of ASTX varies according to different conditions, leading to characteristic and detectable changes in the color of the compound. Owing to the high market value of ASTX and its potential food applications (e.g. antioxidant or natural color compound), this project will seek to develop a novel processing procedure to extract ASTX from EGCs.

Focus will be on applying a mild and holistic approach using all raw materials, sidestreams, and by-products from the processing of the EGCs for potential food applications. The level of ASTX in EGCs as well as derived sidestreams and by-products will be quantified using UV-Vis spectroscopy.