PIGMENTATION OF PACIFIC WHITE SHRIMP (PENAEUS-VANNAMEI) USING AZTEC MARIGOLD (TAGETES-ERECTA) EXTRACTS AS THE CAROTENOID SOURCE

Pacific white shrimp were fed diets containing natural pigments from A ztec marigold (Tagetes erecta) petals extracts (esterified and saponif ied). The pigmenting effect of these carotenoids was compared with a c arotenoid-free control diet and a synthetic astaxanthin (Roche Carophy ll Pink) supplemented diet. It was found that after 14 days of feeding , the shrimp showed that the saponified marigold extract and the high concentration esterified marigold extract supplemented diets produced a better pigmentation effect (between 50-70 %) in the exoskeleton than the astaxanthin, the low concentration esterified marigold extract an d the basal diets, the latter diets being non-significantly different among themselves. However, during the same 14 day period, non-signific antly different results were observed in the carotenoid content of the shrimp abdominal muscle when fed with all diets except the low concen tration esterified marigold extract diet that showed a significantly l ower value than the saponified marigold extract diet. These results in dicate that the main carotenoid sources in Tagetes erecta, namely lute in and zeaxanthin, are possibly metabolized into astaxanthin and depos ited by the Pacific white shrimp.