Development of the extraction method of carotenoid pigments from scallop ovary tissue

Scallop ovaries are discarded as by-products of scallop processing; however, their light orange color evoked potential use as sources of edible pigments. In this study, we investigated methods for the extraction of carotenoid pigments contained in scallop ovary tissue. High carotenoid content extract was obtained by a simple and easy method using ethanol and acetone. Since the carotenoid extract obtained by this method has advantageous property of heat and light resistance, the scallop ovary has the potential to be used as sources of food pigments.