April 29, 2008

Indian scientist extracts antioxidant from prawn waste
 

Indian food scientist Renuka Karuppuswamy has developed a technique for the extraction of an antioxidant, which protects cells in the human body, from prawn shells.
 

This research could turn millions of tonnes of seafood waste in the world into a useful commercial health supplement.

The antioxidant Renuka has extracted is called astaxanthin, most of which are in the prawn shells and heads that are often disposed of.

At present, most commercial astaxanthin is produced naturally from algae or synthetically by a chemical process.

Aside from being used as a human health supplement, astaxanthin is also useful in salmon and egg production.

The technique involves the use of supercritical carbon dioxide held under the exact pressure and temperature conditions to be in a state between gas and liquid to separate astaxanthin from the solvents required to extract it from prawn waste. The technique works at lower temperature, recovers more astaxanthin and reduces degradation to the antioxidant.

The developed techniques could extract more astaxanthin, which makes it commercially viable, said Renuka.