Astaxanthin in Skin Health, Repair, and Disease: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Astaxanthin, a xanthophyll carotenoid, is a secondary metabolite naturally synthesized by a number of bacteria, microalgae, and yeasts. The commercial production of this pigment has traditionally been performed by chemical synthesis, but the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis appears to be the most promising source for its industrial biological production. Due to its collective diverse functions in skin biology, there is mounting evidence that astaxanthin possesses various health benefits and important nutraceutical applications in the field of dermatology. Although still debated, a range of potential mechanisms through which astaxanthin might exert its benefits on skin homeostasis have been proposed, including photoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. This review summarizes the available data on the functional role of astaxanthin in skin physiology, outlines potential mechanisms involved in the response to astaxanthin, and highlights the potential clinical implications associated with its consumption.

Astaxanthin: How much is too much? A safety review

“…The effects of natural AX in humans have been reviewed in more than 20 publications over the last 10 years and include studies on antioxidation, hepatoprotection, eye function, skin health, immune response, inflammation, gastric ulcer, cardiovascular system, muscle endurance, cancer, central nervous system, male fertility, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and mitochondrial dysfunction (Ekpe, Inaku, & Ekpe, ; Fakhri, Abbaszadeh, Dargahi, & Jorjani, ; Fassett et al, , Fassett & Coombes, ; Galasso et al, ; Visioli & Artaria, ; Brown, Gough, Deb, Sparks, & McNaughton, ; Capelli, Jenkins, & Cysewski, ; Davinelli, Nielsen, & Scapagnini, ; Kim & Kim, ; Yamashita, ).…”

“…Abbreviations: ACNFP, Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes; FSAI, Food Safety Authority of Ireland; NFA, National Food Administration. Fassett et al, 2008, Fassett & Coombes, 2012Galasso et al, 2018;Visioli & Artaria, 2017;Brown, Gough, Deb, Sparks, & McNaughton, 2018;Capelli, Jenkins, & Cysewski, 2013;Davinelli, Nielsen, & Scapagnini, 2018;Kim & Kim, 2018;.…”

Ultraviolet A protective potential of plant extracts and phytochemicals

“…AST has several essential biological functions in marine animals, including pigmentation, stress tolerance, reproductive capacity, protection against UV light effects, immune response and protection against the oxidation of macromolecules. From several studies including clinical trials, beneficial effects of AST on skin physiology and pathology are well documented including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and UVB photoprotective action 197 .…”

Epigenetic treatment of dermatologic disorders

“…Nrf2‐activating compounds are becoming staple ingredients in topically applied skin‐conditioning creams and other formulations that mitigate skin damage (Ahmed, ; Ben‐Nun, ; Braidy et al, ; Burke, ; Davinelli, Nielsen, & Scapagnini, ; Gorini et al, ; Huang, Wang, Yang, Chou, & Fang, ; Kocot, Kiełczykowska, Luchowska‐Kocot, Kurzepa, & Musik, ; Kunnumakkara et al, ; Lephart, ; Ríos, Giner, Marín, & Recio, ; Rodríguez‐Luna et al, ; Simitzis, ; Vega et al, , ; Vollmer et al, ; Yang et al, ; Yokota, Yahagi, & Masaki, ), promote skin repair (Bellot et al, ; Davinelli, Nielsen, & Scapagnini, ; Ferreira & Gomes, ; Kim et al, ; Yang et al, ), and enhance diabetic‐associated wound healing (Bellot et al, ; Ben‐Nun, ; Cuadrado et al, ; Ferreira & Gomes, ; Gorini et al, ; Huang et al, ; Kim et al, ; Kocot et al, ; Kunnumakkara et al, ; Panahi et al, ; Ríos et al, ; Sanchez, Lancel, Boulanger, & Neviere, ; Vega et al, ; Vega et al, ; Vollmer et al, ). With respect to the latter, almost a third of the world's population is considered to be overweight or obese (González‐Muniesa et al, ) and the percentage is rising to epidemic proportions (Blaszczak et al, ; Severin, Sabbahi, Mahmoud, Arena, & Phillips, ).…”

“…Nrf2-activating compounds are becoming staple ingredients in topically applied skin-conditioning creams and other formulations that mitigate skin damage (Ahmed, 2019;Ben-Nun, 2018;Braidy et al, 2019;Burke, 2018;Davinelli, Nielsen, & Scapagnini, 2018;Gorini et al, 2019;Huang, Wang, Yang, Chou, & Fang, 2018;Kocot, Kiełczykowska, Luchowska-Kocot, Kurzepa, & Musik, 2018;Kunnumakkara et al, 2017;Lephart, 2018;Ríos, Giner, Marín, & Recio, 2018;Rodríguez-Luna et al, 2018;Simitzis, 2018;Vega et al, 2017Vega et al, , 2018Vollmer et al, 2018;Yokota, Yahagi, & Masaki, 2018), promote skin repair (Bellot et al, 2019;Davinelli, Nielsen, & Scapagnini, 2018;Ferreira & Gomes, 2018;, and enhance diabeticassociated wound healing (Bellot et al, 2019;Ben-Nun, 2018;Cuadrado et al, 2019;Ferreira & Gomes, 2018;Gorini et al, 2019;Huang et al, 2018;Kocot et al, 2018;Kunnumakkara et al, 2017;Panahi et al, 2019;Ríos et al, 2018;Sanchez, Lancel, Boulanger, & Neviere, 2018;Vega et al, 2017;Vega et al, 2018;Vollmer et al, 2018).…”