Astaxanthin pigment is produced by freshwater microalgae Haematococcus Pluvialis and also by some funguses. It is a keto-carotenoid group containing metabolites of zeaxanthin and canthaxanthin. Astaxanthin is well known for its antioxidant properties that help to avoid cellular degeneration. It has therapeutic applications in Alzheimer’s disease, muscle improvements for athletics, and skin rejuvenation. Its market demand and commercial importance are high due to its applications in dietary supplements for humans, animals, and aquaculture.
Under oxidative stress, the freshwater green alga Haematococcus Pluvialis can produce and store astaxanthin. This contributes to photoprotection, energy transfer to chlorophyll, and light harvesting during photosynthesis reactions. The main component of astaxanthin is 3,3′-dihydroxy—carotene-4,4′-dione.
On exposure to adverse environmental conditions like low nutrients, high light intensity, high temperature, and salt stress, Haematococcus Pluvialis develop into a cyst. During cyst formation cells also produces copious amount of carotenoids, primarily astaxanthin. This cyst form helps to protect lipids from oxidative degradation with the help of astaxanthin as a protective agent. In these red cysts form cell can survive for up to 40 years until it finds suitable growth conditions to start germination and vegetative development cycle.
Antioxidant properties of astaxanthin allow it to scavenge free oxygen radicals and help to defend normal cells and tissues from oxidative damage.
Health Benefits of Astaxanthin:
Astaxanthin fortification into food and nutritional supplements can help to reduce illness in a wide range of diseases that include diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, liver disease, and eyesight loss associated with aging.
- Diabetes: Issues with the insulin-producing pancreas are the root cause of type 2 diabetes. By lowering blood sugar toxicity and oxidative stress, astaxanthin’s antioxidant capabilities can help protect pancreatic beta cells.
- Heart disease: Astaxanthin reduces the level of harmful cholesterol in the blood. This helps to avoid the formation of atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular disease. The levels of adiponectin and HDL, the good cholesterol, can also be raised by taking astaxanthin. It improves blood circulation and reduces reactive oxygen species in the blood.
- Blood Pressure: Astaxanthin has shown considerable promise in preventing and lowering high blood pressure as well as ameliorating its side effects. Furthermore, it lowers blood oxidative stress and relaxes blood vessel walls to combat hypertension.
- Liver Disease: Oxidative stress brought on by persistent liver inflammation is a major contributing factor to fatty liver disease. Astaxanthin aids in re-establishing normal liver function, preventing liver damage, and anemia by removing extra radicals brought on by metabolic diseases.
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can cause vision loss and blindness. Astaxanthin has been identified as a key nutrient that can protect the eyes and slow the progression of ADM
- Due to its antioxidant potential astaxanthin reduces neural cell damage by reactive oxygen species and improves the mental health of patients having neurodegenerative diseases. It also boosts the immune system by stimulating the growth of immunity cells.
Applications:
Astaxanthin as Dietary Supplement:
- Due to various health benefits astaxanthin is primarily utilized in dietary supplements in pure form as well as fortified with other nutritional supplements.
- Astaxanthin is used as a food colorant for salmon, crabs, shrimp, chickens, and egg production.
Pharmaceutical:
- Astaxanthin is recommended for various diseases and illnesses as a good nutritional supplement for fast recovery.
- People use astaxanthin for athletic performance, aging skin, and muscle soreness from exercise. Also, it improves the protection of your eyes and the consistency of your skin.
Cosmetic:
- Astaxanthin is known to increase the skin’s moisture level, making it more elastic, and helps to reduce wrinkles.
- Astaxanthin is used in skin rejuvenating cosmetic formulations, such as body lotions, creams, moisturizers, and sunscreens lotions.
For seafood and animals
- Astaxanthin offers an array of physiological advantages in aquacultured fishes and animals. That includes enhancements in survival, growth performance, reproductive ability, stress tolerance, disease resistance, and immune-related gene expression.
- Astaxanthin is recommended as an additive in formulated diets to boost and improve the coloration of many aquatic animal species, and subsequently product quality.
- 1 mg to 1.6 mg Astaxanthin daily per 20 lbs. of body weight of the animal is recommended by researchers.