Bharti Anjali, Hooda Vinita, Jain Utkarsh, Chauhan Nidhi
School of Health Sciences & Technology, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007 India.
Department of Botany, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, India.
3 Biotech. 2025 Apr;15(4):88. doi: 10.1007/s13205-025-04241-5. Epub 2025 Mar 14.
Astaxanthin (ASTX), red-colored xanthophyll, also known as the "king of carotenoids" exhibits a strong antioxidant property that can be naturally found in green algae red yeast , and various aquatic species including salmon, krill, trout, and fish eggs. Due to their strong antioxidant qualities, ASTX nanoparticles may be crucial in fighting against phytotoxicity caused by heavy metal ions. Similarly, it may also reduce the uptake of heavy metal, i.e. cadmium, and translocation by improving the morpho-physiological profiles of plants. Furthermore, it can also have the ability to scavenge free radicals, therefore, it can protect plants from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Implementing ASTX nanoparticles on crops can also help to achieve higher food production while minimizing toxic effects. Additionally, it can also possess several therapeutic activities including anti-cancerous, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammation, hepatoprotective, and cardiovascular, etc. that can be beneficial to treat various types of diseases in humans and animals. Recently, it has gained more interest in food, agriculture, aquaculture, neutraceuticals, and pharmaceutical industries due to its wide range of applications including food-coloring agents, food supplements, and strong antioxidant property that helps in skin protection, and boosts immune function. However, ASTX possesses poor water solubility and chemical stability so the implementation of ASTX on human health is facing various issues. Therefore, nanoencapsulation of ASTX is very crucial to improve its chemical stability and solubility, ultimately leading to its bioavailability and bioaccessibility. Recently, ASTX has been commercially available with specific dosages in the market mainly in the form of tablets, gels, powders, creams, syrups, etc. The current review mainly highlights the present state of ASTX nanoparticle applications in various fields explaining its natural and synthetic sources, extraction methods, chemical structure, stability, nanoformulations, nano encapsulation, and various commercial aspects.
虾青素(ASTX)是一种红色的叶黄素,也被称为“类胡萝卜素之王”,具有很强的抗氧化特性,天然存在于绿藻、红酵母以及包括鲑鱼、磷虾、鳟鱼和鱼卵在内的各种水生物种中。由于其强大的抗氧化特性,虾青素纳米颗粒在对抗由重金属离子引起的植物毒性方面可能至关重要。同样,它还可能通过改善植物的形态生理特征来减少重金属(如镉)的吸收和转运。此外,它还具有清除自由基的能力,因此可以保护植物免受活性氧(ROS)的侵害。在作物上应用虾青素纳米颗粒还可以在将毒性影响降至最低的同时帮助实现更高的粮食产量。此外,它还具有多种治疗活性,包括抗癌、抗糖尿病、抗氧化、抗衰老、抗炎、保肝和心血管保护等,对治疗人类和动物的各种疾病有益。最近,由于其广泛的应用,包括作为食品着色剂、食品补充剂以及有助于皮肤保护和增强免疫功能的强大抗氧化特性,它在食品、农业、水产养殖、营养保健品和制药行业中受到了更多关注。然而,虾青素的水溶性和化学稳定性较差,因此虾青素在人类健康方面的应用面临各种问题。因此,虾青素的纳米封装对于提高其化学稳定性和溶解度非常关键,最终导致其生物利用度和生物可及性。最近,虾青素已在市场上以特定剂量商业化供应,主要形式为片剂、凝胶、粉末、乳膏、糖浆等。本综述主要强调了虾青素纳米颗粒在各个领域的应用现状,解释了其天然和合成来源、提取方法、化学结构、稳定性、纳米制剂、纳米封装以及各种商业方面。