Extraction of carotenoid and thin layer chromatography (TLC), GC-MS, FT-IR and HPLC analysis of pharmaceutically important pigment astaxanthin from a new strain of Haematococcus pluvialis

Carotenoids are bio-pigments naturally available in many prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms which cannot be synthesized biologically by one self including animal but, required for our basic nutritional supplement. Different types of carotenoid pigments are available with different colors especially yellow, orange, red, and purple etc. includes approximately 700 different types (Cabral et al., 2011 and Li et al., 2012). Due to the availability of different varieties of colors; these carotenoid pigments are of great commercial value as colorants, as antioxidants due to free radical scavenging activity alternatively as anti-tumor, carotenoid pigments primarily plays role in the production of vitamin-A synthesis as a precursor and for morphogenesis of retinoid compounds. Thus, carotenoid plays wide applications in food colorants, nutrient supplements, animal feed and cosmetics manufacturing industries (Altamirano et al., 1992; Ananvoranich et al., 1995; Bakker et al., 1997; Cabral et al., 2011; Li et al., 2012). Some of the pharmaceutically as well as commercially important carotenoid pigments are lycopene, á-carotene, ß-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin which are needed most abundant for blood plasma in 2321-7871