Identification and Predictive Bioconversion of Cholesterol to Estran and Androst Hormones from Scalloped Spiny Lobster (Panulirus homarus) Gonads

Abstract: Steroidal hormones process from gonadal maturation of scalloped spiny lobster (Panulirus homarus) not established due to undeveloped practice of hatchery technology. Two steroid hormones i.e. estran and androst were elucidated previously and involved on gonadal maturation of scalloped spiny lobster. This study aimed to identified and evaluate role of cholesterol as raw material of estran and androst hormones. Eighteen individuals of immature and mature female scalloped spiny lobster gonads were used and analysed with pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (py-GCMS). Results found that cholesta-8,24-dien-3-ol, 4-methyl-3ß-4α (C28H46O) with molecular weight 368 assumed as raw materials for estran and androst hormones. Scalloped spiny lobster may process the enzymatic systems that able to catalysed the bioconversion of cholesta-8,24-dien-3-ol, 4-methyl-3ß-4α to estran and androst hormones.

Keywords: bioconversion, cholesterol, pyrolysis GC-MS, spiny lobster, steroid hormone