The function structure and application of astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a red pigment widespread in organism, although the word “astaxanthin” is not commonly used in everyday life, but astaxanthin exists in many kinds of human food. Most crustaceans, such as: shrimp, lobster, crab and so on showing red is because astaxanthin accumulation, in some fish, such as salmon, the flesh-colored is also results in astaxanthin accumulation. In actual production, astaxanthin is often used as feed additives for fish and other aquaculture animals, in order to make up for the lack of astaxanthin in human dietary, while improving the quality of aquaculture products. Astaxanthin is a safe additive, add up to 80 mg / kg. Absorption and accumulation of fish and crustaceans in astaxanthin is much more effective than other carotenoids such as canthaxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, produced by plants and microalgae in nature, animals can not synthesize carotenoids, only through the food chain from plants or algae. In recent years, the development of astaxanthin manufacturer from the haematococcus pluvialis producing astaxanthin is very soon, because haematococcus pluvialis grow fast, with high mass concentration of astaxanthin, the other way to get natural astaxanthin is: red yeast production; extracted from crustaceans such as the Antarctic krill processing by-products. The majority of currently astaxanthin is chemical synthetic products.

The molecular structure of astaxanthin is similar to β2 carotene, but the chemical properties and biological activity is quite different, in vitro experiments showed that the antioxidant activity of astaxanthin is much stronger than the β2 carotene, the beneficial place of astaxanthin for aquaculture has been known for many years, but the researches about its potential antioxidant properties on human health has only just begun.

Astaxanthin in its distal end cyclic structure having a hydroxyl group respectively, this free hydroxy group can be formed with a fatty acid ester. If a hydroxyl group and a fatty acid forming ester, called astaxanthin monoester; if two hydroxy groups and a fatty acid forming ester, it is called astaxanthin diester. Astaxanthin can according to stereoisomers, geometric isomers, the degree of esterification and whether esterification or not divided into many kinds. The stereoisomers of astaxanthin in haematococcus pluvialis is 3S, 3'S, the monoester is account for about 80%, the diester is about 15%, the main fatty acid has oleic acid, elaidic, ricinoleic acid and arachidic acid.

Natural astaxanthin exists in 3 S, 3'S or 3 R, 3'R form, and tend to form complexes with proteins to produce different colors, such as: lobster blue, green and yellow; also soluble in fat, such as the red in snow plant is resulting in its cytoplasmic liposomes accumulated astaxanthin; or forming esters with fatty acids. Astaxanthin in the cells rarely exist in free state, because of free astaxanthin is instability. Most of the geometrical isomers of synthetic astaxanthin and natural astaxanthin all in E structure, but stereoisomers is different from the mentioned earlier, the ratio between the synthetic astaxanthin stereoisomers is fixed, and racemic accounted for 50%, natural astaxanthin is mainly as 3 S, 3'S esterification structure, astaxanthin monoester accounting for more than 90% in haematococcus pluvialis, diester accounts for about 8%, free astaxanthin is about 1%. Comparison of synthetic astaxanthin and natural astaxanthin in the effect of rearing rainbow trout: result is quite different, rainbow trout were fed with feed containing the same amount of synthetic astaxanthin and natural astaxanthin, with natural astaxanthin fed rainbow trout accumulated more astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, crystal is brown red. Compared with β2-carotene and vitamin E, astaxanthin has a more biologically active hormone, can be widely used in feed, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics material and other industries.

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