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Molecular Medicine Reports Oct 2022Astaxanthin is a lipid‑soluble carotenoid produced by various microorganisms and marine animals, including bacteria, yeast, fungi, microalgae, shrimps and lobsters.... (Review)
Review
Astaxanthin is a lipid‑soluble carotenoid produced by various microorganisms and marine animals, including bacteria, yeast, fungi, microalgae, shrimps and lobsters. Astaxanthin has antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory and anti‑apoptotic properties. These characteristics suggest that astaxanthin has health benefits and protects against various diseases. Owing to its ability to cross the blood‑brain barrier, astaxanthin has received attention for its protective effects against neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, cognitive impairment and neuropathic pain. Previous studies on the neurological effects of astaxanthin are mostly based on animal models and cellular experiments. Thus, the biological effects of astaxanthin on humans and its underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. The present review summarizes the neuroprotective effects of astaxanthin, explores its mechanisms of action and draws attention to its potential clinical implications as a therapeutic agent.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Blood-Brain Barrier; Humans; Neuroprotective Agents; Xanthophylls
PubMed: 35946443
DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2022.12816 -
Critical Reviews in Food Science and... 2006Astaxanthin is a carotenoid widely used in salmonid and crustacean aquaculture to provide the pink color characteristic of that species. This application has been well... (Review)
Review
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid widely used in salmonid and crustacean aquaculture to provide the pink color characteristic of that species. This application has been well documented for over two decades and is currently the major market driver for the pigment. Additionally, astaxanthin also plays a key role as an intermediary in reproductive processes. Synthetic astaxanthin dominates the world market but recent interest in natural sources of the pigment has increased substantially. Common sources of natural astaxanthin are the green algae Haematococcus pluvialis, the red yeast, Phaffia rhodozyma, as well as crustacean byproducts. Astaxanthin possesses an unusual antioxidant activity which has caused a surge in the nutraceutical market for the encapsulated product. Also, health benefits such as cardiovascular disease prevention, immune system boosting, bioactivity against Helycobacter pylori, and cataract prevention, have been associated with astaxanthin consumption. Research on the health benefits of astaxanthin is very recent and has mostly been performed in vitro or at the pre-clinical level with humans. This paper reviews the current available evidence regarding astaxanthin chemistry and its potential beneficial effects in humans.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Aquaculture; Cardiovascular Diseases; Crustacea; Dietary Supplements; Eukaryota; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Immunity; Molecular Structure; Neoplasms; Xanthophylls; Yeasts
PubMed: 16431409
DOI: 10.1080/10408690590957188 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2021Xanthophyll astaxanthin, which is commonly used in aquaculture, is one of the most expensive and important industrial pigments. It is responsible for the pink and red... (Review)
Review
Xanthophyll astaxanthin, which is commonly used in aquaculture, is one of the most expensive and important industrial pigments. It is responsible for the pink and red color of salmonid meat and shrimp. Due to having the strongest anti-oxidative properties among carotenoids and other health benefits, natural astaxanthin is used in nutraceuticals and cosmetics, and in some countries, occasionally, to fortify foods and beverages. Its use in food technology is limited due to the unknown effects of long-term consumption of synthetic astaxanthin on human health as well as few sources and the high cost of natural astaxanthin. The article characterizes the structure, health-promoting properties, commercial sources and industrial use of astaxanthin. It presents the possibilities and limitations of the use of astaxanthin in food technology, considering its costs and food safety. It also presents the possibilities of stabilizing astaxanthin and improving its bioavailability by means of micro- and nanoencapsulation.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Basidiomycota; Carotenoids; Coloring Agents; Crustacea; Dietary Supplements; Food Industry; Food Technology; Functional Food; Humans; Xanthophylls
PubMed: 34063189
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26092666 -
Journal of Basic Microbiology Sep 2022Astaxanthin is a ketocarotenoid, super antioxidant molecule. It has higher antioxidant activity than a range of carotenoids, thus has applications in cosmetics,... (Review)
Review
Astaxanthin is a ketocarotenoid, super antioxidant molecule. It has higher antioxidant activity than a range of carotenoids, thus has applications in cosmetics, aquaculture, nutraceuticals, therapeutics, and pharmaceuticals. Naturally, it is derived from Haematococcus pluvialis via a one-stage process or two-stage process. Natural astaxanthin significantly reduces oxidative and free-radical stress as compared to synthetic astaxanthin. The present review summarizes all the aspects of astaxanthin, including its structure, chemistry, bioavailability, and current production technology. Also, this paper gives a detailed mechanism for the potential role of astaxanthin as nutraceuticals for cardiovascular disease prevention, skin protection, antidiabetic and anticancer, cosmetic ingredient, natural food colorant, and feed supplement in poultry and aquaculture. Astaxanthin is one of the high-valued microalgae products of the future. However, due to some risks involved or not having adequate research in terms of long-term consumption, it is still yet to be explored by food industries. Although the cost of naturally derived astaxanthin is high, it accounts for only a 1% share in total astaxanthin available in the global market. Therefore, scientists are looking for ways to cut down the cost of natural astaxanthin to be made available to consumers.
Topics: Antioxidants; Carotenoids; Microalgae; Xanthophylls
PubMed: 34817092
DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202100391 -
Nutrients Dec 2021Astaxanthin is a member of the carotenoid family that is found abundantly in marine organisms, and has been gaining attention in recent years due to its varied... (Review)
Review
Astaxanthin is a member of the carotenoid family that is found abundantly in marine organisms, and has been gaining attention in recent years due to its varied biological/physiological activities. It has been reported that astaxanthin functions both as a pigment, and as an antioxidant with superior free radical quenching capacity. We recently reported that astaxanthin modulated mitochondrial functions by a novel mechanism independent of its antioxidant function. In this paper, we review astaxanthin's well-known antioxidant activity, and expand on astaxanthin's lesser-known molecular targets, and its role in mitochondrial energy metabolism.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Energy Metabolism; Humans; Mitochondria; Xanthophylls
PubMed: 35010981
DOI: 10.3390/nu14010107 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2020Astaxanthin is a natural lipid-soluble and red-orange carotenoid. Due to its strong antioxidant property, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and immune modulation,... (Review)
Review
Astaxanthin is a natural lipid-soluble and red-orange carotenoid. Due to its strong antioxidant property, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and immune modulation, astaxanthin has gained growing interest as a multi-target pharmacological agent against various diseases. In the current review, the anti-inflammation mechanisms of astaxanthin involved in targeting for inflammatory biomarkers and multiple signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT, Nrf2, NF-κB, ERK1/2, JNK, p38 MAPK, and JAK-2/STAT-3, have been described. Furthermore, the applications of anti-inflammatory effects of astaxanthin in neurological diseases, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, hepatic and renal diseases, eye and skin disorders, are highlighted. In addition to the protective effects of astaxanthin in various chronic and acute diseases, we also summarize recent advances for the inconsistent roles of astaxanthin in infectious diseases, and give our view that the exact function of astaxanthin in response to different pathogen infection and the potential protective effects of astaxanthin in viral infectious diseases should be important research directions in the future.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Disease; Humans; Inflammation; Xanthophylls
PubMed: 33207669
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25225342 -
Phytotherapy Research : PTR Dec 2019Astaxanthin (AX)-containing preparations are increasingly popular as health food supplements. Evaluating the maximum safe daily intake of AX is important when setting... (Review)
Review
Astaxanthin (AX)-containing preparations are increasingly popular as health food supplements. Evaluating the maximum safe daily intake of AX is important when setting dose levels for these products and currently, there are discrepancies in recommendations by different regulatory authorities. We have therefore conducted a review of approved dose levels, clinical trials of natural AX, and toxicological studies with natural and synthetic AX. Recommended or approved doses varied in different countries and ranged between 2 and 24 mg. We reviewed 87 human studies, none of which found safety concerns with natural AX supplementation, 35 with doses ≥12 mg/day. An acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 2 mg as recently proposed by European Food Safety Authority was based on a toxicological study in rats using synthetic AX. However, synthetically produced AX is chemically different from natural AX, so results with synthetic AX should not be used in assessing natural AX safety. In addition, few safety studies have been conducted in either humans or animals with synthetic AX. We therefore recommend the ADI for natural AX to be based only on studies conducted with natural AX and further studies to be conducted with synthetic AX (including human clinical trials) to establish a separate ADI for synthetic AX.
Topics: Dietary Supplements; Humans; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; Xanthophylls
PubMed: 31788888
DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6514 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jan 2022Astaxanthin (AST) is a red pigmented carotenoid with significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-apoptotic properties. In this study, we... (Review)
Review
Astaxanthin (AST) is a red pigmented carotenoid with significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-apoptotic properties. In this study, we summarize the available literature on the anti-inflammatory efficacy of AST in various chronic and acute disorders, such as neurodegenerative, renal-, hepato-, skin- and eye-related diseases, as well as gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, we elaborated on therapeutic efficacy of AST and the role of several pathways, including PI3K/AKT, Nrf2, NF-κB, ERK1/2, JNK, p38 MAPK, and JAK-2/STAT-3 in mediating its effects. However, additional experimental and clinical studies should be performed to corroborate the anti-inflammatory effects and protective effects of AST against inflammatory diseases in humans. Nevertheless, this review suggests that AST with its demonstrated anti-inflammatory property may be a suitable candidate for drug design with novel technology.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Humans; Inflammation; Xanthophylls
PubMed: 34736076
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112179 -
Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology 2022Astaxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid widely used in aquaculture and nutraceutical industries. Among natural sources, the microalga is the non-genetically modified... (Review)
Review
Astaxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid widely used in aquaculture and nutraceutical industries. Among natural sources, the microalga is the non-genetically modified organism with the greatest capacity to accumulate astaxanthin. Therefore, it is important to understand emerging strategies in upstream and downstream processing of astaxanthin from this microalga. This review covers all aspects regarding the production and the market of natural astaxanthin from . Astaxanthin biosynthesis, metabolic pathways, and nutritional metabolisms from the green vegetative motile to red hematocyst stage were reviewed in detail. Also, traditional and emerging techniques on biomass harvesting and astaxanthin recovery were presented and evaluated. Moreover, the global market of astaxanthin was discussed, and guidelines for sustainability increasing of the production chain of astaxanthin from were highlighted, based on biorefinery models. This review can serve as a baseline on the current knowledge of and encourage new researchers to enter this field of research.
Topics: Biomass; Chlorophyceae; Microalgae; Xanthophylls
PubMed: 34424829
DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2021.1966802 -
Acta Biochimica Polonica 2012Two human clinical studies were performed. One was an open-label non-controlled study involving 30 healthy female subjects for 8 weeks. Significant improvements were... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial Randomized Controlled Trial
Two human clinical studies were performed. One was an open-label non-controlled study involving 30 healthy female subjects for 8 weeks. Significant improvements were observed by combining 6 mg per day oral supplementation and 2 ml (78.9 μM solution) per day topical application of astaxanthin. Astaxanthin derived from the microalgae, Haematococcus pluvialis showed improvements in skin wrinkle (crow's feet at week-8), age spot size (cheek at week-8), elasticity (crow's feet at week-8), skin texture (cheek at week-4), moisture content of corneocyte layer (cheek in 10 dry skin subjects at week-8) and corneocyte condition (cheek at week-8). It may suggest that astaxanthin derived from H. pluvialis can improve skin condition in all layers such as corneocyte layer, epidermis, basal layer and dermis by combining oral supplementation and topical treatment. Another was a randomized double-blind placebo controlled study involving 36 healthy male subjects for 6 weeks. Crow's feet wrinkle and elasticity; and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were improved after 6 mg of astaxanthin (the same as former study) daily supplementation. Moisture content and sebum oil level at the cheek zone showed strong tendencies for improvement. These results suggest that astaxanthin derived from Haematococcus pluvialis may improve the skin condition in not only in women but also in men.
Topics: Adult; Cosmetics; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Skin; Skin Aging; Treatment Outcome; Xanthophylls; Young Adult
PubMed: 22428137
DOI: No ID Found