Studies on the carotenoids in the muscle of salmon--V. Combination of astaxanthin and canthaxanthin with bovine serum albumin and egg albumin.

1. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and/or egg albumin were bound to astaxanthin or canthaxanthin easily and the spectroscopic characteristics of these complexes were similar to those of astaxanthin or canthaxanthin in the salmon muscle. 2. This result indicates that astaxanthin-BSA, -egg albumin, canthaxanthin-BSA and -egg albumin complexes were basically similar to astaxanthin-actomyosin and/or canthaxanthin-actomyosin complex in the salmon muscle. 3. The binding of salmon actomyosin to astaxanthin or canthaxanthin is not specific.