Advance toward function, production, and delivery of natural astaxanthin: A promising candidate for food ingredients with future perspectives

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 463; no. Pt 4; p. 141428
• Main Authors: Zhang, Jing, Liu, Meizhen, Han, Tiantian, Luo, Lu, Zhang, Ying, Yuan, Gaofeng, Fang, Xubo, Han, Fangrui, Chen, Xiaoe, Wang, Yuhua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.01.2025
• Subjects: Animals; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants - chemistry; astaxanthin; diabetes; esterification; Food application; food chemistry; food industry; Food Ingredients - analysis; food matrix; Haematococcus pluvialis; Humans; industrialization; Microorganism; Natural astaxanthin; neuroprotective effect; Safety; Xanthophylls - chemistry; Food application; Microorganism; Safety; Natural astaxanthin
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141428

Astaxanthin (AST) exhibits potent antioxidant activity, effectively preventing neurological diseases and cancer. Presently, producing AST from microorganisms like Haematococcus pluvialis and Phaffia rhodozyma is a growing trend. This review summarizes the main research topics on AST in the past five years. AST plays a crucial role in cancer and diabetes prevention, as well as neuroprotection, however, the presence of both free and esterified forms of AST results in differences in their functionality and applications. The primary challenges in industrial production of natural AST lie in breeding high-yield natural producers and developing methods to enhance yield. The use of high-quality food matrix materials and preparation methods is crucial for the delivery system of loaded AST. This study elucidates the bottlenecks and future development directions encountered by natural AST during industrialization, aiming to promote the healthy and rapid growth of the food industry. [Display omitted] •The main research directions of AST are clarified the past five years.•The study of the cis and trans isomers of AST is discussed in detail.•Bottlenecks and challenges of natural AST application are identified.•Prospects for research on natural ASST in the food filed are discussed.