No abstract

Aplousobranchia ascidians from two different families were integrated with morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analysis for the first time. The present study employed morphological descriptions (colony structures, tunic, zooids, spicules stigmata and test) and a molecular approach, using a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene of four Aplousobranchia colonial ascidians Aplidium conicum (98%), Aplidium elegans (98%), Didemnum fulgens (92%) and Trididemnum cyanophorum (94%) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Bar-coded sequences were extracted with BLAST format from NCBI and the heritable diversity of the submitted sequences were compared with associated ascidian species. Study revealed that the evolutionary relationship among the ascidian species exhibited the constant clades, which may help for rapid reassessment of morphological characters of the species distributed worldwide.

Astaxanthin extracted from Red Crab edwardsii was assayed for antioxidant activity viz., total antioxidant, reducing power, hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging assay, and DPPH free radicals scavenging activity. Final concentration of astaxanthin was quantified to be 49.05 µg/g using the standard astaxanthin. The antioxidant activity was found to be 60%, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity showed 89% inhibition, whereas 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazl (DPPH) activity showed 86% of scavenging activity. Present investigation proves that the astaxanthin from C. edwardsii promising antioxidant source, which can be used in food, pharmacological and aquaculture sectors.