Pigments are intensely colored molecules made by organisms. Well known pigments include chlorophyll and beta-carotene. Astaxanthin is a red pigment found in a variety of organisms. As a member of the carotenoid family, astaxanthin is similar to beta-carotene. However, these two pigments have very different chemical characteristics as a result of the small differences in their structures. Astaxanthin is believed to protect against cancer, UVA light damage and neurodegenerative diseases; however, you should only take astaxanthin as directed by a physician.
Algae
Just as chlorophyll and beta-carotene are produced by terrestrial plants, astaxanthin is produced by microscopic marine plants. These plants, which are called micro-algae, exhibit a reddish color due to their production of astaxanthin. Haematococcus pluvialis is the primary species used by humans as a source of astaxanthin. In its dried form, this type of algae consists of up to 3 percent astaxanthin by weight.
Marine Animals
When micro-algae containing astaxanthin are consumed by marine animals, the astaxanthin is absorbed into the bodies of the animals. These marine animals incorporate the red pigment into the surfaces of their bodies. This is the reason that crawfish, shrimp, salmon, crab and lobster appear red. Many commercial fisheries add chemically produced astaxanthin to their fish feed to accentuate the bright colors of their fish.
Yeast
Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous is a species of yeast that contains high levels of astaxanthin. Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous is the sexual form of Phaffia rhodozyma — Phaffia rhodozyma reproduces via the asexual process of cloning, while Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous reproduces sexually. Like micro-algae, the yeast produces astaxanthin rather than absorbing it from other organisms. Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous is such a potent source of astaxanthin that it is used as a commercial source of the pigment.
Synthetic Production
While micro-algae, yeast and marine animals are available as natural sources of astaxanthin, most of the astaxanthin used by humans is not extracted from these organisms. Rather, it is synthetically produced in laboratories. There is a substantial market for synthetically produced astaxanthin, partly because natural astaxanthin is even more expensive. As of 2009, synthetic astaxanthin was worth approximately $2,000 per kilogram, while natural astaxanthin was worth approximately $7,000 per kilogram. (References 1 & 3)
References
- Phytochemicals: Astaxanthin
- "Applied and Environmental Microbiology"; Biogeography, Host Specificity, and Molecular Phylogeny of the Basidiomycetous Yeast Phaffia rhodozyma and its Sexual Form, Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous"; Diego Libkind, et al.; February 2007
- 3DChem.com; Astaxanthin; Karl Harrison; 2009
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