ABSTRACT
The sea urchins are valuable sources of bioactive compounds. The gonads of some sea urchin species contain antioxidants including carotenoids and polyhydroxylated naphthoquinones, such as echinochrome Arbacia lixula has a high concentration of the carotenoid pigment, astaxanthin (27.0 µg/mg), which is known to have particular bioactivity for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. Further, methanol crude extracts obtained from eggs of farmed and wild specimens of this species revealed a higher bioactivity. The coelomic fluid and coelomocyte lysates of this species have shown the lysosome activity with a mean diameter of lysis of 7.7 mm. It is a medium-sized sea urchin, characterized by its deep black colour and its hemispherical shape. All of its spines are roughly the same size (no “secondary spines”) and worn erected (never dishevelled when in the water). The anus on the top is surrounded by four plates forming an anal valve. The oral face is nearly naked, the mouth being surrounded by soft, dark greenish skin.
