Abstract
This study was performed as a part of comparative biochemical studies of carotenoid pigment for the fresh water fish. Carotenoids in integument of Korean dark sleeper, Odontobutis platycephala, and dark sleeper, Odontobutis odontobutis interrupta, which are all the Korean native fresh water fish, were separated by thin layer chromatography, column chromatography and HPLC. The separated carotenoid were then reduced and isomerized by NaBH4 and I2 respectively to investigate UV-Vis spectrophotometeric patterns and chracterized by IR, 1H-NMR and Mass spectrum. The content of total carotenoids in the integument of Korean dark sleeper was 3.01mg% in April, but it was increased to 3.74mg% in September at the near of spawning period. The carotenoid isolated in April consisted of $\beta$-carotene(25.6%), lutein(18.5%) and zeaxanthin(12.0%) as major carotenoids and also contained isocryptoxanthin, diatoxanthin, tunaxanthin, cynthiaxanthin, canthaxanthin and $\alpha$-cryptoxanthin as minor carotenoids. Similarly, in September the carotenoid consisted of $\beta$-carotene(16.5%), zeaxanthin(13.7%) and cynthiaxanthin(13.6%) as major carotenoids and also contained lutein, isocryptoxanthin, tunaxanthin, $\alpha$-cryptoxanthin, diatoxanthin and canthaxanthin as minor carotenoids. At the near of spawning period, the content of cynthiaxanthin and $\alpha$-cryptoxanthin were increased. The content of total carotenoids in the integument of spawning period. T도 carotenoid isolated in April and September consisted of $\beta$-carotene(24.9%, 27.5%), zeaxanthin(14.4%, 20.9%) and lutein(12.6%, 11.4%) as major carotenoids and also contained cynthiaxanthin, tunaxanthin, diatoxanthin, isocryptoxanthin, $\alpha$-cryp-toxanthin and canthaxanthin as minor carotenoids. At the near of spawning period, the content of zeaxanthin was increased, indicating that the carotenoid composition were dependent upon their living conditions and their integument colors. Both Korean dark sleeper and dark sleeper contained high amount of cynthiaxanthin and diatoxanthin which are found as rare carotenoids in the other of fresh water fish. It is interes that they also contained tunaxanthin which is a specific carotenoid in marine fishes.