Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 May 2;26(9):2666.
doi: 10.3390/molecules26092666.

Astaxanthin for the Food Industry

Barbara Stachowiak  1 , Piotr Szulc  2
Affiliations
Review

Astaxanthin for the Food Industry

Barbara Stachowiak et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Haematococcus pluvialis; Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous; antioxidants; astaxanthin; bioactive compounds; carotenoids; crustacean byproducts; encapsulation; xanthophylls.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Configurational stereoisomers of astaxanthin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The location of astaxanthin and other antioxidants in the cell membrane (adapted from [15]).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Natural sources of astaxanthin; (a) Adonis plants, (b) photo of H. pluvialis alge, (c) was adapted from [69].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Astaxanthin E/Z isomers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Olson J.A. Biological Actions of Carotenoids. J. Nutr. 1989;119:94–95. doi: 10.1093/jn/119.1.94. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lorenz R.T., Cysewski G.R. Commercial Potential for Haematococcus Microalgae as a Natural Source of Astaxanthin. Trends Biotechnol. 2000;18:160–167. doi: 10.1016/S0167-7799(00)01433-5. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hossain A.K.M.M., Brennan M.A., Mason S.L., Guo X., Zeng X.A., Brennan C.S. The Effect of Astaxanthin-Rich Microalgae “Haematococcus Pluvialis” and Wholemeal Flours Incorporation in Improving the Physical and Functional Properties of Cookies. Foods. 2017;6:57. doi: 10.3390/foods6080057. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Akiba Y., Sato K., Takahashi K., Matsushita K., Komiyama H., Tsunekawa H., Nagao H. Meat Color Modification in Broiler Chickens by Feeding Yeast Phaffia Rhodozyma Containing High Concentrations of Astaxanthin. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 2001;10:154–161. doi: 10.1093/japr/10.2.154. - DOI
    1. Anarjan N., Tan C.P. Chemical Stability of Astaxanthin Nanodispersions in Orange Juice and Skimmed Milk as Model Food Systems. Food Chem. 2013;139:527–531. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.01.012. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources