The-raw shell color determines cooked color and carotenoid profiles of the freshwater prawnMacrobrachium rosenbergii(De Man, 1879) (Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae)

Abstract

AbstractOne of the most important criteria in consumer acceptance is the color of the prawn, which has long been linked with its excellent quality. The goal of this study was to compare the shell (exoskeleton) color parameters lightness (L), redness (a), yellowness (b), color difference (dE), and carotenoid content in farmed prawns in ponds between dark- blue and light-yellow varieties of the prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879), and the relationship among raw-shell color parameters, cooked shell color parameters, and carotenoid profiles of the prawn. The raw shell of dark-blue prawns recorded a substantially lower b value than light-yellow prawns (P = 0.003), whereas a value was significantly higher in the cooked shell of dark-blue individuals (P = 0.000). Dark-blue had considerably greater total carotenoids (P = 0.006) and astaxanthin (P = 0.002) content in comparison to light-yellow individuals; b of the raw shell was substantially associated with a of the cooked (r = –0.496, P = 0.001); b of raw shell had a significantly negative correlation with total carotenoids (r = –0.674, P = 0.001), astaxanthin (r = –0.689, P = 0.001), and β-carotene (r = –0.658, P = 0.002); but a of cooked shell had a significantly positive correlation with total carotenoids (r = 0.634, P = 0.003), astaxanthin (r = 0.683, P = 0.001), and β-carotene (r = 0.636, P = 0.003). Our findings provide a better understanding on how the raw-shell color influences the carotenoid profiles and cooked color in M. rosenbergii.