Product description

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, a xanthophyll or oxygen containing pigment. It is a colourful (red-orange), lipid-soluble pigment.

Its colour is due to the long chain of conjugated double bonds. This chain of double bonds gives astaxanthin also a strong antioxidant function.

Product application

Due its functional properties, it is mainly used in food, feed and aquafeed applications as colouring, antioxidant and as nutritional supplement.
In cosmetics, it is used in skin care and anti-aging formulations.

Main claims for astaxanthin, when used as a nutritional supplement are: antioxidant, prevents diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders, and also stimulates immune system. Astaxanthin products are used for commercial applications in the dosage forms as tablets, capsules, syrups, oils, soft gels, creams, biomass and granulated powders.

Raw materials

Production can come from both natural and synthetic sources.

The natural sources of astaxanthin are algae, yeasts, salmon, trout, antartic krill, shrimp, crayfish and crustacean shells, as a co-product of the production of chitin and chitosan.

Examples of microorganisms containing astaxanthin are microalgae such as Haematococcus pluvialis, Chlorella zofingiensis, Chlorococcum and the yeast Phaffia rhodozyma.

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Competing Companies

Simplified process Scheme