The largest market for astaxanthin is aquaculture and poultry farming, mainly used as feed additives for fish (salmon, sturgeon, rainbow trout, red sea bream, etc.) and crustaceans such as shrimps and crabs, and poultry.
Astaxanthin is the endpoint of carotenoid synthesis. Therefore, after it enters the animal body, it can be directly stored and deposited in the tissue without modification or biochemical transformation and can bind to myoglobin non-specifically. Therefore, the absorption and accumulation of astaxanthin by fish and crustaceans is much more effective than other carotenoids such as canthaxanthin, luxin and zeaxanthin.
Astaxanthin can not only improve the color of aquatic animals and poultry but also play an important role in their growth and reproduction. It can be used as a hormone to promote fertilization of fish eggs, reduce the mortality of embryonic development, promote individual growth, increase maturity and fecundity. An experiment conducted by Christiansen found that astaxanthin has a significant effect on the growth and survival of Atlantic salmon fry. Atlantic salmon can grow normally only when the astaxanthin content in the feed reaches 5.3×10-6, which is lower than Stop growing at 5.1×10-6; if the astaxanthin content in the feed is less than 1×10-6, the fry mortality rate will reach 50%. Bendich believes that the reason why astaxanthin and other carotenoids can improve the survival rate of juvenile salmon and trout is that they can improve the immunity of animals. Torrissen found that in certain waters, the reason why adult salmon and trout cannot reproduce offspring is because of the lack of astaxanthin in their eggs and fry. Astaxanthin can not only improve the survival rate and fecundity of fish, it can also increase the laying rate of hens and promote the health of laying hens.
In addition, astaxanthin can greatly increase the market value of the product. Adding astaxanthin to poultry feed can also increase the pigment content of egg yolk, which is the first commodity parameter considered by European consumers. Astaxanthin can also increase the flavor of fish. Josephson used gas chromatography to study the flavor of cooked salmon, and several compounds identified from it were all converted from astaxanthin. Researchers believe that carotenoids can be used directly as precursor compounds that form salmon food flavors, and they can also promote the conversion of fatty acids or other lipid precursors into salmon flavor compounds.
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