Z‑Isomers of Astaxanthin Exhibit Greater Bioavailability and Tissue Accumulation Efficiency than the All‑E‑Isomer

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 69; no. 11; pp. 3489 - 3495
• Main Authors: Honda, Masaki, Murakami, Kazuya, Osawa, Yukiko, Kawashima, Yuki, Hirasawa, Kazuaki, Kuroda, Ikuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 24.03.2021
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Availability; Diet; Food and Beverage Chemistry/Biochemistry; Isomerism; Male; Rats; Xanthophylls - metabolism; tissue accumulation; carotenoid; isomerization; bioavailability; plasma appearance
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c00087

The purpose of the present study was to clarify the differences in the bioavailability and tissue accumulation efficiency between (all-E)- and (Z)-astaxanthin. Astaxanthin with a high proportion of the Z-isomer (especially rich in the 9Z- and 13Z-isomers) was prepared from (all-E)-astaxanthin by thermal treatment and solid–liquid separation. The all-E-isomer- or Z-isomer-rich diet was fed to male rats for 2 weeks. After the feeding period, blood and tissue samples were collected, and their astaxanthin levels were evaluated. The Z-isomer-rich astaxanthin diet resulted in higher levels of astaxanthin in blood and many tissues (in particular, skin, lung, prostate, and eye) compared to the all-E-isomer-rich diet. Moreover, the Z-isomer-rich diet enhanced the level of the 13Z-isomer in blood and tissues rather than that of the 9Z-isomer. These results strongly supported that astaxanthin Z-isomers have greater bioavailability and tissue accumulation efficiency than the all-E-isomer. Moreover, (13Z)-astaxanthin would have higher bioavailability and tissue accumulation than the other isomers.