Astaxanthin, also known as astaxanthin or astaxanthin, is an oxygen-containing derivative of carotenoids found in shrimp and crab shells, oysters, salmon, and certain algae. It can effectively quench reactive oxygen species and has high nutritional and health value. As early as the 1930s, researchers isolated astaxanthin from the shells of shrimp and crabs, but its physiological functions did not receive widespread attention until the 1980s. Animal and clinical experiments have shown that astaxanthin has strong antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-cancer, immune enhancement, and cardiovascular disease prevention health functions, and has broad application prospects. 01
The physicochemical properties of astaxanthin
Crystalline astaxanthin is pink in color, with a melting point of 215 ℃~216 ℃. It is insoluble in water and has fat solubility. It is easily soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform, acetone, and benzene. The conjugated double bond chains in the molecular structure of astaxanthin and their unsaturated ketone and hydroxyl groups at the ends have a relatively active electronic effect, which can attract unpaired electrons from free radicals or provide electrons to free radicals, thereby clearing free radicals and having strong antioxidant effects. This structure also makes it easy to interact with light, heat, and oxides, and after structural changes, it degrades into astaxanthin. Research has found that visible light has little effect on astaxanthin, while ultraviolet light has a significant destructive effect on astaxanthin; Below 70 ℃, the effect of temperature on astaxanthin is relatively small, while above 70 ℃, astaxanthin begins to be destroyed by heat; Within the pH range of 4~11, pH has little effect on astaxanthin, and astaxanthin begins to degrade at pH<3 or pH>13; Metal ions such as Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+, Zn2+have little effect on astaxanthin, while Fe2+, Fe3+, and Cu2+have a significant destructive effect on astaxanthin, with Fe3+having the greatest impact. Astaxanthin mainly exists in free and esterified forms. Free astaxanthin is extremely unstable and easily oxidized, and usually chemically synthesized astaxanthin is in its free form. Esterified astaxanthin is stable due to the presence of a hydroxyl group in the cyclic structure at the end of astaxanthin, which is easy to form esters with fatty acids. Astaxanthin in aquatic animal skin and shell, as well as in red algae and red yeast, is mainly in the esterified state. Esterified astaxanthin is divided into astaxanthin monoester and astaxanthin diester based on the different fatty acids it binds to. After the esterification of astaxanthin, its hydrophobicity is enhanced, and the lipophilicity of diesters is stronger than that of monoesters; At the same time, esterified astaxanthin forms complexes with proteins, producing different colors.
02
The functional characteristics of astaxanthin
In recent years, as the important physiological functions and enormous economic value of astaxanthin have gradually been recognized, research on the functional properties of astaxanthin has been increasing both domestically and internationally, especially in areas such as antioxidant, anticancer, immune enhancement, antihypertensive, cardiovascular disease prevention, and UV radiation protection. 2.1 Antioxidant
Astaxanthin is a chain breaking antioxidant with extremely strong antioxidant properties. The body can produce a small amount of oxygen free radicals during normal life activities such as respiratory chain electron transfer and oxidation of other substances in the body. When stimulated by chemical reagents, ultraviolet radiation, and other factors, a large amount of oxygen free radicals can be produced. These free radicals can cause lipid peroxidation, amino acid oxidation, protein degradation, and DNA damage on the biofilm, as well as chain reactions of unsaturated fatty acids on the cell membrane, thereby affecting cell composition. Astaxanthin can not only quench singlet oxygen and directly eliminate oxygen free radicals, but also block the chain reaction of fatty acids. Research has found that the ability of various types of carotenoids to quench molecular oxygen is ranked in order of strength: astaxanthin> α- Carotenoids> β- Carotenoids>Redwood lignin>Zeaxanthin>Lutein>Bilirubin>Biliverdin. Lee et al. compared the quenching effects of five types of carotenoids and their derivatives, including lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, isozeaxanthin, and astaxanthin, with different conjugated double bond numbers, on reactive oxygen species in soybean oil photooxidation. They found that the ability to quench reactive oxygen species increased with the increase of conjugated double bonds, and astaxanthin had the strongest quenching performance. Some researchers have also applied the thiobarbituric acid method, using heme proteins containing ferrous ions as free radical producers and linoleic acid as acceptors, to detect various tested carotenoids and their derivatives α- The half effective dose ED50 of tocopherol (VE) for scavenging free radicals (see Table 1) also showed that astaxanthin has the strongest ability to scavenge free radicals. In recent years, continuous research has also shown that astaxanthin has a stronger antioxidant effect than astaxanthin α- Tocopherol is over a hundred times stronger and is known as the "super VE". Meanwhile, astaxanthin can effectively prevent the peroxidation of phospholipids and other lipids. In addition, astaxanthin can also increase antioxidant enzyme activity and protein expression. Different doses of astaxanthin significantly increase the protein expression of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in animal cells, and their biological activity is also significantly improved. 2.2 Anti cancer
Through the research on the relationship between dietary carotenoid intake and cancer incidence rate or mortality, it is found that cancer incidence rate or mortality is significantly negatively related to carotenoid intake [14]. Nishino [15] compared the anticancer activities of various carotenoids and concluded that astaxanthin has the strongest anticancer effect. The study by Savoure et al. demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of astaxanthin on tumor development lies in its inhibition of tumor proliferation. At present, research has shown that Cell Gap Junction Communication plays an important regulatory role in normal cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as tissue stability. The inhibition or disruption of its function is an important mechanism in promoting cancer progression. The anticancer effect of astaxanthin is closely related to its ability to induce intercellular communication. It can strengthen the connectivity between normal cells, isolate cancer cells, reduce the connectivity between cancer cells, control their growth, and prevent tumor transformation. A large number of research results at home and abroad also further indicate that astaxanthin has a significant inhibitory or preventive effect on a variety of cancers. For example, Tanaka and others have observed that astaxanthin has a preventive effect on oral cancer and bladder cancer through animal experiments; The research results of Gradelet et al. indicate that astaxanthin has a significant effect on inhibiting liver cancer; There are also studies indicating that astaxanthin can prevent DNA damage caused by ultraviolet radiation in human fibroblasts (1BR-3), melanocytes (HEMAc), and intestinal CaCo-2 cells, thereby reducing the occurrence of skin cancer. 2.3 Enhancing immunity
In the study by Jyonouchi et al. on the immunomodulatory effects of astaxanthin and carotenoids on the in vitro tissue culture system of mouse lymphocytes, it was found that astaxanthin has a strong immunomodulatory effect. Experiments have shown that astaxanthin can significantly promote the production of antibodies in mouse spleen cells in response to thymus dependent antigen (TD Ag), enhancing the conclusion of humoral immune response dependent on T-specific antigen. Meanwhile, in vitro studies on human blood cells have also found that astaxanthin and carotenoids significantly promote antibody production under TD Ag stimulation, increasing the number of cells secreting IgG and IgM. Supplementing astaxanthin can partially restore antibody production in elderly mice during TD Ag response, which helps to restore humoral immunity in elderly animals. Chew et al. on mouse feeding β- The research results on the effects of carotenoids, astaxanthin, and cantharidin on spleen cell function show that, β- Carotenoids and astaxanthin have a significant effect on enhancing the function of mouse spleen lymphocytes to enhance the body's immunity. In addition, astaxanthin can also increase the production of human immunoglobulin and enhance the ability of mice to release interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor, with its effects being more effective than β- Carotenoids and keratins are stronger. Therefore, astaxanthin has a strong ability to induce cell division and has important immunomodulatory effects. 2.4 Anti hypertension
Hussein et al. [27] studied the antihypertensive effect of astaxanthin on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and the results showed that continuous feeding of astaxanthin for 14 days significantly reduced arterial blood pressure in SHR; Continuous feeding of astaxanthin (50 mg · kg-1) to stroke prone SHR for 5 weeks significantly reduced blood pressure and delayed the occurrence of SHR stroke. Regarding the mechanism of action of astaxanthin on antihypertensive effects, studies have shown that astaxanthin can regulate blood rheology, including the sympathetic adrenergic receptor pathway, ensuring α- Normalization of adrenergic receptor sensitivity and reduction of Ang II and reactive oxygen species induced vasoconstriction can repair vascular tension and achieve antihypertensive effects. Harry et al. conducted experiments using Zuck fatty acid rats (ZFR) as a model to demonstrate that astaxanthin has the ability to resist hypertension and reduce the activity of the renin angiotensin system (RAS). 2.5 Prevention of cardiovascular diseases
Clinical medical research has shown that the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is an important cause of arteriosclerosis. The higher the concentration of LDL in the human body, combined with platelet deposition, the thinner the blood vessels and hinder blood flow velocity, increasing the risk of arteriosclerosis in the body [30]. Generally, LDL exists in a non oxidative state. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox LDL) can transform cells into foam cells and produce lipoid striae, while the presence of inflammatory foam cells in the vascular wall will lead to increased oxidation capacity, proliferation of surrounding smooth muscle cells, and narrowing of arteries. Epidemiological and clinical data indicate that antioxidants in the diet can prevent cardiovascular disease. This is also an important reason why astaxanthin can effectively prevent atherosclerosis. In addition, astaxanthin can also reduce the infiltration of macrophages in arterial plaque, prevent the formation of atherosclerosis, and play a role in stabilizing plaque. Murillo et al. found through research that astaxanthin has a significant effect on increasing HDL and reducing LDL in the body. Therefore, astaxanthin has a preventive effect on cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and ischemic brain injury. 2.6 Protection against UV radiation
Research has shown that exposure of skin and other tissues to strong light, especially ultraviolet light, can lead to the production of single atom oxygen and free radicals in cell membranes and tissues, causing oxidative damage to the body. When the body takes in sufficient antioxidants from food, such as β- When carotenoids, represented by carotenoids, can effectively reduce these injuries. Carotenoids in nature play an important role in protecting tissues and resisting UV oxidation. Astaxanthin, on the other hand, has a higher quality than astaxanthin β- Characteristics such as carotene and lutein that are more effective in preventing UV radiation damage; On the other hand, astaxanthin has a special effect on transglutaminase, which can consume putrescine when the skin is exposed to light to prevent its accumulation. In Japan, corresponding skin protection tests were conducted on astaxanthin, and the results showed that astaxanthin had a significant improvement effect on skin tension, moisture, color tone, elasticity, smoothness, and other aspects. Therefore, astaxanthin can serve as a potential UV radiation protector, playing an important role in protecting cell membranes and mitochondrial membranes from oxidative damage, preventing skin photoaging, and maintaining skin health.
03
Application in functional foods
Numerous studies both domestically and internationally have shown that astaxanthin can effectively eliminate free radicals generated by exercise in muscle cells, enhance aerobic metabolism, and have significant anti fatigue and anti-aging effects; Can significantly enhance the human immune system; It is the only carotenoid that can pass through the blood-brain barrier, with advantages in antioxidant protection for the eyes and multiple important and unique health benefits. It can also serve as a new type of functional food additive, as a food coloring agent, antioxidant, etc., to improve food quality and enhance the appearance of food. 3.1 Application in anti-aging functional foods
The aging of the body is mainly caused by a large amount of free radicals produced in the chain oxidation reaction of mitochondria. If not cleared in time, it will lead to mitochondrial oxidative damage and accelerate the aging of the body's cells. Astaxanthin has extremely strong antioxidant activity and can efficiently scavenge oxygen free radicals, with an efficiency more than 100 times that of VE. Astaxanthin not only maintains strong antioxidant capacity, but also slows down age-related functional decline and helps resist aging. Therefore, adding astaxanthin to functional foods will help prevent a series of diseases caused by organ aging and improve people's health. At present, research and development of astaxanthin anti-aging functional foods have been carried out abroad, such as the Derma Astin natural astaxanthin capsules launched by Cyanotech in the United States. In addition, astaxanthin is also combined with beauty factors to produce anti-aging beauty foods. When used in combination with cosmetics, it enhances its anti-aging effect. According to a survey, 90% of international top cosmetics brands have launched beauty foods containing astaxanthin, such as Shiseido's "Vivid Beauty G+C". 3.2 Application in foods that enhance immune function
Astaxanthin can significantly promote the ability of spleen cells to produce antibodies in the presence of antigens, and enhance T cells to stimulate the production of immunoglobulin in blood cells in the human body. In the early stages of antigen invasion, astaxanthin can also enhance specific humoral immune responses. Astaxanthin has the best activity in inducing cell division and can increase the production of immunoglobulin in the human body, playing an important role in immune regulation. Goswami et al. found that astaxanthin can exert significant effects as an immune modulator. Therefore, applying astaxanthin to enhance the body's immune health food is an important direction for developing astaxanthin. Japan has launched various astaxanthin products, such as Fancl's "Astaxanthin 30" and other immune enhancing nutritional products. Suntory Company in Japan has applied the method of combining astaxanthin with other functional extracts to produce a variety of new products with higher functional effects. Mix astaxanthin with other carotenoids to enhance its immune system. 3.3 Application in eye protection functional foods
The main diseases that cause visual damage and even blindness are age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and age-related cataracts, both of which are related to the internal photooxidation process of the eye. The human retina contains higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and high concentrations of oxygen than any other tissue. When high-energy blue light acts on the retina, the singlet oxygen and oxygen free radicals produced by photooxidation will cause oxidative damage to the retina. For humans and other animals, dietary carotenoids are essential for protecting eye health, quenching these damaging reactive oxygen species and helping the retina resist oxidative damage. Research has shown that astaxanthin can effectively prevent retinal oxidation and damage to photoreceptor cells by crossing the blood-brain barrier, indicating that astaxanthin has good effects in preventing and treating age-related macular degeneration and improving retinal function. Therefore, the application of astaxanthin as a functional food to protect vision and maintain eye health is a hot research topic both domestically and internationally. Japan combines astaxanthin with blueberry extract to enhance its protective effect on vision; The United States has developed natural astaxanthin capsules and other products, dedicated to protecting vision and improving age-related macular degeneration. 3.4 Application in functional food additives
In the food industry, astaxanthin can not only be added as a functional ingredient such as an immune enhancer and anti-aging agent to food, but also effectively play a role in preservation, color preservation, taste preservation, and quality preservation. It can be used as a coloring agent and antioxidant in food. Used to maintain the original nutritional content of food from being damaged or loss, or to improve sensory characteristics, enhancing the attractiveness of food to consumers. Astaxanthin is a fat soluble pigment with a bright red color, natural and realistic. It has strong pigment deposition ability, strong coloring power, safety and non toxicity, low dosage, no odor, and good taste. It can be used for coloring many health products, as well as coloring pills, sugar coatings, and capsules. It can also be directly used in food, such as edible oils, artificial cream, ice cream, candies, pastries, dried noodles, seasonings, etc., especially in foods with high fat content. It has both good coloring effect and significant shelf life. It can also be used for coloring beverages, especially for juice containing VC. In Japan, the use of astaxanthin as a functional food additive is quite common. Red oil containing astaxanthin is widely used for pickling vegetables, seaweed, and fruits, and has also been reported in beverages, noodles, seasoning coloring, etc. 04
Conclusion and Outlook
Numerous studies both domestically and internationally have shown that astaxanthin has potential special health benefits in the human body, making it increasingly favored by people. At present, the main sources of astaxanthin include chemical synthesis and natural extraction. Chemically synthesized astaxanthin differs from natural astaxanthin in terms of structure, properties, applications, and safety. Its important properties such as stability, antioxidant properties, and coloring properties are significantly lower than those of natural astaxanthin. The efficient extraction and preparation of natural astaxanthin is the focus of future astaxanthin development, especially the industrial fermentation of astaxanthin using microorganisms such as yeast and algae, which has a short production cycle and broad prospects. Therefore, screening high-yield strains, improving fermentation processes, timely introducing gene modification techniques, increasing yield, and reducing costs will greatly contribute to the further development and application of astaxanthin. The application of astaxanthin in the field of functional foods is mainly focused on enhancing immunity, anti-cancer, anti-aging, protecting the retina, anti-inflammatory, and preventing oxidative damage of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the blood. Many health and nutritional foods and Dietary supplements containing astaxanthin have been developed and produced in foreign countries. However, China is still in its early stages of development. With the deepening of research on the functional properties of astaxanthin and the improvement of production technology, combined with the traditional concept of "medicinal food homology" in China, the development of functional nutritional foods using astaxanthin will have excellent application prospects and profound development significance.
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2024-04-03
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