Astaxanthin Delivery Systems for Skin Application: A Review.

Marjorie Caroline Liberato Cavalcanti Freire,Attilio Converti,Ádley Antonini Neves de Lima,Sarah Giovanna Montenegro Lima,Carlo Solisio,Verônica da Silva Oliveira

doi:10.3390/md19090511

Marjorie Caroline Liberato Cavalcanti Freire, Attilio Converti + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/md19090511

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Abstract

Astaxanthin (AST) is a biomolecule known for its powerful antioxidant effect, which is considered of great importance in biochemical research and has great potential for application in cosmetics, as well as food products that are beneficial to human health and medicines. Unfortunately, its poor solubility in water, chemical instability, and low oral bioavailability make its applications in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical field a major challenge for the development of new products. To favor the search for alternatives to enhance and make possible the use of AST in formulations, this article aimed to review the scientific data on its application in delivery systems. The search was made in databases without time restriction, using keywords such as astaxanthin, delivery systems, skin, cosmetic, topical, and dermal. All delivery systems found, such as liposomes, particulate systems, inclusion complexes, emulsions, and films, presented peculiar advantages able to enhance AST properties, among which are stability, antioxidant potential, biological activities, and drug release. This survey showed that further studies are needed for the industrial development of new AST-containing cosmetics and topical formulations.

Highlights

Astaxanthin (AST) is a xanthophyll carotenoid that was first isolated from lobster byKuhn and Sorensen and was commercialized as a pigmentation agent for feed in the aquatic farm industry [1,2]
Some articles on particulate systems considered in this review presented either ecological or natural alternatives to develop delivery systems, which can aggregate to more sustainable products
The aim of this article was to review the literature about the development of new systems for loading AST for cosmetics and topical usage

Summary

Introduction

Astaxanthin (AST) is a xanthophyll carotenoid that was first isolated from lobster byKuhn and Sorensen and was commercialized as a pigmentation agent for feed in the aquatic farm industry [1,2]. The AST, or 3,30 -dihydroxy-β,β-carotene-4,40 -dione, is a tetraterpene composed of 40 carbon atoms (Figure 1A), and its molecular formula is C40 H52 04 (molecular mass 596.85 g·mol−1 ) [3,4] This reddish-orange pigment is solid at room temperature, is fat-soluble, and its log P (octanol/water partition) is 13.27 [4]. The green microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis, due to its ability to accumulate AST at high levels, is the main source for human consumption, besides being the most promising source for its industrial biological production [1,7]. It can be found either in plants, animals, yeasts, or other algae species

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