Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 29, 491-499, Copyright © 1988 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Qualitative and quantitative changes in the carotenoids during development of the brine shrimp Artemia
HJ Nelis, P Lavens, MM Van Steenberge, P Sorgeloos, GR Criel and AP De Leenheer
Department of Medical Biochemistry, State University of Ghent, Belgium.
In order to study the biological fate of all-trans- and cis- canthaxanthin
in the brine shrimp Artemia, a quantitative method was developed for the
determination of both carotenoids and their metabolic precursors in
encysted embryos (cysts), nauplii, whole animals, organs, and subcellular
fractions. This method is based on nonaqueous reversed- phase
chromatography, two new exhaustive extraction procedures, and the
determination of proteins in the extracted residue. Hydration of Artemia
cysts caused a reversible conversion of part of the all-trans- to
cis-canthaxanthin. During further pre-emergence embryonic development,
there was little change in the levels of both isomers. After hatching of
cysts, cis-canthaxanthin was progressively isomerized to the all-trans
form, while the total (all-trans + cis) canthaxanthin to protein ratio
tended to remain constant. Cis-canthaxanthin rapidly became undetectable in
animals fed on algae and reappeared in females at an advanced stage of the
reproductive cycle. All-trans-canthaxanthin remained present during the
whole Artemia life cycle in addition to its metabolic precursors echinenone
and beta-carotene. The carotenoid distribution in organs and subcellular
fractions indicated high affinity of cis-canthaxanthin for the female
reproductive system, oocytes in general, and yolk in particular. A role for
cis- canthaxanthin is suggested at an early developmental stage, i.e., in
cysts, before hatching.
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