The present study was designed to investigate the question of whether or not astaxanthin improves stem cell potency via an increase in proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Treatment with astaxanthin significantly increased proliferation and colony formation of NPCs. For identification of possible activated signaling molecules involved in active cell proliferation occurring after ast...

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid found in plants and algae; it provides the color of marine seafood such as salmon, lobster, or shrimp. Carotenoids are antioxidants and exhibit other biological functions, including effects on gap junctional communication important for homeostasis, growth control, and development of cells. Cancer cells have an impaired gap junctional intercellular communication. The ...

Helicobacter pylori is a dominant bacterium living in the human gastric tissues. In H. pylori-infected tissues, the infiltrated inflammatory cells produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to gastric inflammation with production of various mediators. According to numerous epidemiological studies, dietary carotenoids may prevent gastric inflammation due to their antioxidant properties. Rece...

Wound healing consists of a complex series of convoluted processes which involve renewal of the skin after injury. ROS are involved in all phases of wound healing. A balance between oxidative and antioxidative forces is necessary for a favorable healing outcome. Astaxanthin, a member of the xanthophyll group, is considered a powerful antioxidant. In this study, we investigated the effect of top...

Astaxanthin is a red pigment that belongs to the carotenoid family like β-carotene. And it’s found in seafood such as crustaceans: shrimp and crabs and fish: salmon and sea bream. Recently, astaxanthin has been reported to have antioxidant activity up to 100 times more potent than that of vitamin E against lipid peroxidation and about 40 times more potent than that of β-carotene on singlet oxyg...

Oxidative stress and inflammation are established processes contributing to cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis. However, antioxidant therapies tested in cardiovascular disease such as vitamin E, C and β-carotene have proved unsuccessful at reducing cardiovascular events and mortality. Although these outcomes may reflect limitations in trial design, new, more potent antioxidant the...

We have investigated whether astaxanthin exerted neuroprotective effects in retinal ganglion cells in-vitro and in-vivo. In-vitro, retinal damage was induced by 24-h hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure or serum deprivation, and cell viability was measured using a WST assay. In cultured retinal ganglion cells (RGC-5, a rat ganglion cell-line transformed using E1A virus), astaxanthin inhibited the ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of predicting the type and concentration level of astaxanthin coating of aquaculture feed pellets using multispectral image analysis. We used both natural and synthetic astaxanthin, and we used several different concentration levels of synthetic astaxanthin in combination with four different recipes of feed pellets. We used a VideometerLa...

AIM To evaluate the treatment of male infertility with a strong natural antioxidant, in addition to conventional treatment. METHODS Using a double blind, randomized trial design, 30 men with infertility of > or =2 months and female partners with no demonstrable cause of infertility received conventional treatment according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), and either a...

In this study, the effect of dietary antioxidants, such as astaxanthin and Flavangenol, and a combination of both, in counteracting oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetes was investigated. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were divided into four groups: control, astaxanthin, Flavangenol, and combined astaxanthin and Flavangenol (mix group). Each group other than the control grou...