The effects of red pepper, marigold flower, and synthetic astaxanthin on pigmentation, growth, and proximate composition of Penaeus semisulcatus

Shrimps with an initial weight of 11.10 ± 0.26 g were fed diets supplemented with 6.6% red pepper (RP), 2.4% marigold flower (MF), and 100 mg/kg synthetic astaxanthin (SA), each of which contained 100 mg/kg total carotenoid, and a control diet (BD), without carotenoid supplement for 60 days. Dietary carotenoid sources did not significantly affect the growth of the shrimps (P > 0.05). SA supplementation yielded the highest survival rate (92%), followed by RP (82%) and the other diets (75%) (P 0.05). RP and SA resulted in a greater protein increase in shrimp muscle than MF (P 0.05). © TÜBİTAK