[EFFECT OF FOOD DEPRIVATION ON TRANSFORMATION OF CAROTENOIDS IN THE BIVALVE MOLLUSC ANADARA KAGOSHIMENSIS (TOKUNAGA, 1906)].

The composition and content of carotenoids in tissues of Anadara kagoshimensis (Tokunaga, 1906) under conditions of food deprivation were analyzed over the interval of 30 days. By the end of the experiment a slight and uneven decrease of the level of total carotenoid content in tissues of foot, hepatopancreas, gills and in the sum of remaining tissues was observed. Initially β-carotene, pectenolon, zeaxanthin, diatoxanthin, alloxanthin and esters of the latter four carotenoids were found in tissues extracts. The qualitative composition of carotenoids in the examined tissues was similar. In the course of the experiment changes were noted in both the composition of carotenoids and their content. Changes common for all tissues were shown: β-carotene disappeared on days 3-4, over the interval of 30 days a decrease in the content of the esters of pectenolon, alloxanthin, zeaxanthin and diatoxanthin and an increase in the level of pectenolon and alloxanthin were observed. Tissue specificity was revealed: in foot and hepatopancreas tissues, at the background of decrease of the total content of esters of carotenoids, a considerable increase of pectenolon and alloxanthin concentration accompanied by an increase of diatoxanthin and zeaxanthin was observed; in gills and the sum of the remaining tissues, under similar increase in pectenolon and alloxanthin concentration, the level of diatoxanthin and zeaxanthin remained at the initial level or was even somewhat lower. The diagram of carotenod transformation is supplemented for Anadara kagoshimensis.