The present results demonstrate that S. platensis can be introduced as an alternative natural carotenoid source instead of synthetic astaxanthin in rainbow trout diets.
The effectiveness of a carotenoid source in terms of deposition and pigmentation is species-specific (Ha et al. 1993).
Out of these prey groups especially insects are thought to be rich carotenoid sources, whereas the mammal prey items have low value as sources of carotenoids [19], [23].
Provitamin A carotenoid sources are efficacious in humans (12– 12).
Bixa orellana, Crocus sativus, Curcuma longa, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, and Cedrela toona, are some of carotenoids source plants.
In addition, invertebrates including octocorals, assimilate exogenous antioxidants such as carotenoid pigments into their tissue and skeleton from food sources or symbionts [61], [62].
As different carotenoids tend to be, for the most part, present together in various food sources, and as carotenoids may act cumulatively together (Liu, 2004), it was decided to create a variable representing the total sum of the concentration of the seven individual carotenoids analysed, expressed in terms of both weight (μg dl−1) and molar equivalents (μmol l−1).
Plants are rich source of phytochemicals such as carotenoids, resveratrol, quercetin, silymarin, sulphoraphane, and indole-3-carbino that protect from chronic diseases and usually target multiple cell signalling pathways [ 15].
A number of fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of phytonutrients, such as carotenoids and flavonoids.
Feeding microalgae to fish has been used successfully to provide an important natural source of bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, fatty acids, polysaccharides, amino acids, and vitamins [ 26].
