Astaxanthin is a keto carotenoid, the chemical name is 3,3′-dihydroxy-4,4′-diketo-β,β′-carotene, red solid powder, fat-soluble, insoluble Water, soluble in organic solvents. It exists widely in the biological world, especially in the feathers of aquatic animals such as shrimps, crabs, fish and birds, and plays a role in color rendering.

Astaxanthin is a chain-breaking antioxidant. It has strong antioxidant capacity, can remove nitrogen dioxide, sulfide, disulfide, etc., can also reduce lipid peroxidation, and effectively inhibit lipid peroxidation caused by free radicals. At the same time, it has many physiological functions such as inhibiting tumor occurrence, enhancing immunity, and removing free radicals in the body. It has a good therapeutic effect on skin cancer caused by ultraviolet rays, and also has a preventive effect on eye diseases caused by diabetes. It has broad application prospects in cosmetics, food additives and aquaculture.

In addition to biological extraction, astaxanthin can also be produced by chemical synthesis, algae, bacteria and yeast. In addition, the application of DNA recombination technology to construct high-yield astaxanthin genetic engineering is also under study

1. Anti-oxidation
   

   An important property of astaxanthin is its antioxidant properties, which is an excellent antioxidant. The powerful antioxidant activity of astaxanthin is due to its ability to stabilize membrane structure, reduce membrane permeability, and restrict the entry of superoxide promoters into cells. Protects important molecules in cells from oxidative damage. At the same time, astaxanthin may have the potential to become a pro-oxidant to induce oxidative stress. The conjugated double bond, hydroxyl group and unsaturated ketone group at the end of the conjugated double bond chain in the astaxanthin molecule, wherein the hydroxyl group and the ketone group form α-hydroxy ketone, these structures have relatively active electronic effects and can Donating electrons to free radicals or attracting unpaired electrons of free radicals can effectively quench highly oxidizing singlet reactive oxygen species and other free radicals in the environment. Studies have shown that the quenching ability of reactive oxygen species increases with the increase of the number of conjugated double bonds, and the quenching ability of astaxanthin is the strongest, and its ability to quench molecular oxygen is higher than that of β-carotene, Vitamin E, alpha-carotene, lutein, and lycopene are all high. Astaxanthin integrated into the membrane system inhibits lipid peroxidation through the protection of liposomes, and can also protect cells and DNA from oxidative damage, protect proteins in cells, enable cells to effectively metabolize, and make cells The proteins inside function better. This antioxidant effect is manifested in prolonging the time that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is oxidized, thereby reducing the occurrence of atherosclerosis.

2. Anticancer effect

   Studies have shown that astaxanthin can inhibit the mutagenic effects caused by aflatoxin B1, phenylpropene (BaP), diethyl nitrite (DEN), nitrosamines and cyclophosphamide, etc. The effect of astaxanthin in preventing tumors can be Works at different stages of tumorigenesis. For example, by inhibiting the production of putrescine, and reducing the concentration of free polyamines such as spermine and spermidine, reducing the formation of tumor inducers; protecting the skin from UV damage through anti-oxidation, preventing skin photoaging and preventing skin cancer from being induced; By strengthening the connectivity between normal cells, carcinogen-induced cells are placed in an extended communication network in which normal cells prevail, isolating cancer cells, reducing connections between cancer cells, controlling their growth, and preventing tumor transformation ; Astaxanthin also has a strong inhibitory effect on the proliferation of cancer cells, and high concentrations of astaxanthin can kill tumor cells. Studies have found that astaxanthin can effectively control a variety of cancers, such as liver cancer, oral cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer.

3. Boost immunity

   Astaxanthin can significantly enhance the body's local and systemic immunity. This immunomodulatory property, combined with antioxidant properties, plays an important role in preventing the occurrence and spread of diseases. Experiments have shown that carotenoids can slow down the decline in immunity caused by aging, improve the function of the body's immune organs, and enhance resistance to harsh environments. More importantly, astaxanthin can enhance the function of T cells in the body, increase the number of neutrophils and natural killer cells, and participate in the body's cellular immunity; astaxanthin can also increase the vitality of B cells in the immune system and eliminate foreign invasion. pathogens, work by assisting in the production of antibodies and enhancing the activity of other immune components, such as promoting the production of immunoglobulins, increasing IgG (immunoglobulin G), IgA (immunoglobulin A), and IgM (immunoglobulin M) It can enhance the ability of humoral immune response and improve the immunity of animals.

4. Coloration

   Carotenoids are the main pigment substances in aquatic animals, and astaxanthin accounts for most of the carotenoids in aquatic animals, so it can be said that astaxanthin is the main pigment substances in aquatic animals. Astaxanthin is the end point of carotenoid synthesis. After it enters the animal body, it can be directly stored in the tissue without modification or biochemical transformation. It has a strong pigment deposition ability, which makes the skin and muscles of some aquatic animals appear healthy and bright. The color of the eggs and the feathers, skin, feet, and neck of the birds are healthy golden yellow or red. Experiments show that adding astaxanthin to the feed not only makes the epidermis of the fish yellow, but also increases the content of astaxanthin in the muscles.

1. Healthy food

   Foreign astaxanthin has been used as a food additive for food coloring, preservation and nutrition. Astaxanthin is fat-soluble, with bright red color and strong antioxidant properties. It has both coloring and fresh-keeping effects on foods, especially those with more lipids.

2. Medicine

   Studies have shown that feeding mice with astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus powder can significantly reduce the adhesion and infection of Helicobacter pylori to the stomach. On this basis, oral preparations have been developed abroad as anti-infective drugs. The antioxidant properties of astaxanthin can also be used to prevent atherosclerosis and related diseases by reducing or inhibiting the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood, resulting in less deposits on the blood vessel wall, thereby reducing atherosclerosis. The occurrence of sclerosis, astaxanthin also increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the body, so it is used as a preparation to prevent arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease and ischemic brain damage; in addition, astaxanthin can also be used as a common Anti-bioperoxidant, anti-cancer agent and treatment of infertility, promote embryo and sperm development.

3. Feed industry

   The largest market for astaxanthin is in the feed industry, where it can be used as a feed additive mainly for fish (salmon, sturgeon, rainbow trout, sea bream, etc.) and crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs and poultry. Astaxanthin, as a colorant for aquaculture animals, can make aquatic animals show bright colors and make them more ornamental; adding astaxanthin in poultry feed can increase the pigment content of egg yolk; it can also improve hens. egg production rate and promote the health of laying hens. Astaxanthin has the same functions as humans in the prevention and treatment of fish, shrimp, crab and poultry diseases. It can improve immunity, improve survival rate, and play an important role in its normal growth and healthy breeding, and improving survival rate and reproduction rate. Astaxanthin can also increase the flavor of fish, it can be used directly as a precursor compound for the formation of salmon food flavor, and it can also promote the conversion of fatty acids or other lipid precursors into salmon flavor compounds.

4. Cosmetic

   As a new cosmetic raw material, astaxanthin is widely used in creams, emulsions, lip balms, skin care products and other cosmetics due to its excellent properties. Especially in the field of advanced cosmetics, natural astaxanthin with its unique molecular structure, through its antioxidant effect, can efficiently quench free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays, prevent skin photoaging, reduce UVA and UVB damage to the skin, prevent Skin cancer, slow down cell aging, reduce skin wrinkles, reduce melanin deposition, reduce freckles, retain moisture, and make skin more elastic, toned and moisturized. Japan already has a patent for the production of cosmetics using the anti-photosensitivity effect of astaxanthin.