Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Abstract

Antioxidant Activity in Hard and Soft Shell Crabs of Charybdis lucifera(Fabricius, 1798)

Soundarapandian P, Shyamalendu Roy and Varadharajan D

The crab fishery in India is fast developing and there is a vast scope for the crab meat due to its delicacy and nutritional richness. Studies on antioxidant activity of soft shell crabs are very much need of the hour to stop the wastage of soft shell crabs and also possible utilization. Hence in the present investigation antioxidant activity is studied in soft shelled crabs which are compared with hard shell crabs of Charybdis lucifera. The soft shelled crabs showed maximum phenolic content of 48% which is tentatively higher than that of hard shelled. The total antioxidant potential of soft shelled crab exhibited maximum antioxidant potential of 49% and minimum effect of 32% was recorded in hard shelled crab. In the reducing power assay the maximum reducing ability of 59% was noticed in soft shelled crab. The lease reducing capability of 42% was recorded in hard shelled crab. A meager scavenging potential of 28% and 29% was recorded in both the crabs. In deoxyribose radical scavenging activity both the crab tissues exhibited a confined range of 30% scavenging role where the reference drug of Vitamin E records 86% of scavenging potential. In soft shelled crab was characterized with 59% DPPH free radical scavenging ability whereas the hard shelled with 48% was recorded. The results suggest that soft shelled crabs of Charybdis lucifera show antioxidant property than hard shell crabs. So the soft shelled crab may be used for the preparation of antioxidant and this will prevent the wastage of useful soft shelled crabs from the landing centers in some extend. To confirm this further extensive study is needed in this regard.