Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology

, Volume 31, Issue 6, pp 1181–1189 | Cite as

Stability and changes in astaxanthin ester composition from Haematococcus pluvialis during storage

  • Fengping Miao (苗凤萍)
  • Yahong Geng (耿亚洪)
  • Dayan Lu (卢大炎)
  • Jincheng Zuo (左进城)
  • Yeguang Li (李夜光)
Coastal biotechnology: Reshaping biosphere along coastal line
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

In this paper, we investigated the effects of temperature, oxygen, antioxidants, and corn germ oil on the stability of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis under different storage conditions, and changes in the composition of astaxanthin esters during storage using high performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry. Oxygen and high temperatures (22–25°C) significantly reduced the stability of astaxanthin esters. Corn germ oil and antioxidants (ascorbic acid and vitamin E) failed to protect astaxanthin from oxidation, and actually significantly increased the instability of astaxanthin. A change in the relative composition of astaxanthin esters was observed after 96 weeks of long-term storage. During storage, the relative amounts of free astaxanthin and astaxanthin monoesters declined, while the relative amount of astaxanthin diesters increased. Thus, the ratio of astaxanthin diester to monoester increased, and this ratio could be used to indicate if astaxanthin esters have been properly preserved. If the ratio is greater than 0.2, it suggests that the decrease in astaxanthin content could be higher than 20%. Our results show that storing algal powder from H. pluvialis or other natural astaxanthin products under vacuum and in the dark below 4°C is the most economical and applicable storage method for the large-scale production of astaxanthin from H. pluvialis. This storage method can produce an astaxanthin preservation rate of at least 80% after 96 weeks of storage.

Keyword

Haematococcus pluvialis astaxanthin ester storage stability storage life high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Boussiba S, Vonshak A. 1991. Astaxanthin accumulation in the green alga Haematococcus pluvialis. Plant Cell P hysiol., 32: 1 077–1 082.Google Scholar
  2. Bjerkeng B. 2008. Carotenoids in Aquaculture: Fish and Crustaceans. Birkhäuser, Basel.Google Scholar
  3. Chen H M, Meyer S P. 1982. Effect of antioxidants on stability of astaxanthin pigment in crawfish waste and oil extract. J. Agri. Food Chem., 30: 469–473.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Chen X L, Chen R, Guo Z Y, Li C P, Li P C. 2007. The preparation and stability of the inclusion complex of astaxanthin with β-cyclodextrin. Food Chem., 101: 1 580–1 584.Google Scholar
  5. Cinar I. 2004. Storage stability of enzyme extracted carotenoid pigment from carrots. Elec. J. Environ. Agricul. Food Chem., 3: 609–616.Google Scholar
  6. Cysewski G R, Lorenz R T. 2004. Industrial production of microalgal cell mass and secondary products-species of high potential: Haematococcus. In: Richmond A ed. Handbook of Microalgal Culture: Biotechnology and Applied Phycology. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford, U K. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470995280.Google Scholar
  7. Gouveia L, Empis J. 2003. Relative stabilities of microalgal carotenoids in microalgal extracts, biomass and fish feed: effect of storage conditions. Innov. Food. Sci. Emerg. Technol., 4: 227–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Iwamoto T, Hosoda K, Hirano R, Kurata H, Matsumoto A, Miki W, Kamiyama M, Itakura H, Yamamoto S, Kondo K. 2000. Inhibition of low density lipoprotein oxidation by astaxanthin. J. Atheroscler Thromb., 7: 216–222.Google Scholar
  9. Kittikaiwan P, Powthongsook S, Pavasant P, Shotiprut A. 2007. Encapsulation of Haematococcus pluvialis using chitosan for astaxanthin stability enhancement. Carbohydr. Polym., 70: 378–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Lim G B, Lee S Y, Lee E K, Haam S J, Kim W S. 2002. Separation of astaxanthin from red yeast Phaffia rhodozyma by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. Biocheml. Eng. J., 11: 181–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Mason R P, Walter M F, Mcnulty H P, Lockwood S F, Byun J, Day C A, Jacob R F. 2006. Rofecoxib increases susceptibility of human LDL and membrane lipids to oxidative damage: a mechanism of cardiotoxicity. J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol., 47(Suppl. 1): S7–S14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Miao F P, Li Y G, Geng Y H, Hu H J. 2005. The effects of temperature on the biomass and the astaxanthin output of Haematococcus pluvialis. J. Wuhan Botany Res., 23: 73–76. (in Chinese with English abstract)Google Scholar
  13. Miao F P, Lu D Y, Li Y G, Zeng M T. 2006. Characterization of astaxanthin esters in Haematococcus pluvialis by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Anal. Biochem., 352: 176–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Miki W. 1991. Biological functions and activities of animal carotenoids. Pure Appl. Chem., 63: 141–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Naguib Y. 2000. Antioxidant activities of astaxanthin and related carotenoids. J. Agric. Chem., 48: 1 150–1 154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Nakajima Y, Inokuchi Y, Shimazawa M, Otsubo K, Ishibashi T, Hara H. 2008. Astaxanthin, a dietary carotenoid, protects retinal cells against oxidative stress in-vitro and in mice in-vivo. J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 60: 1 365–1 374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Pashkow M D F J, Watumull D G, Campbell M D C L. 2008. Astaxanthin: a novel potential treatment for oxidative stress and inflammation in cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Cardiol., 101(Suppl.): 58D–68D.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Raposo M F J, Morais A M M B, Morais R M S C. 2012. Effects of spray-drying and storage on astaxanthin content of Haematococcus pluvialis biomass. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 28: 1 253–1 257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Shinidzu N, Goto M, Miki W. 1996. Carotenoids as singlet oxygen quenchers in marine organisms. Fish Sci., 61: 134–137.Google Scholar
  20. Xu X M, Chen X M, Jin Z Y. 2006. Stability of astaxanthin from Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous during storage. J. Food Sci. Biotechnol., 25: 29–36.Google Scholar
  21. Yuan C, Jin Z Y, Xu X M, Zhuang H N, Shen W Y. 2008. Preparation and stability of the inclusion complex of astaxanthin with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin. Food Chem., 109: 264–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Chinese Society for Oceanology and Limnology, Science Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Fengping Miao (苗凤萍)
    • 1
    • 2
  • Yahong Geng (耿亚洪)
    • 1
  • Dayan Lu (卢大炎)
    • 1
  • Jincheng Zuo (左进城)
    • 3
  • Yeguang Li (李夜光)
    • 1
  1. 1.Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical GardenChinese Academy of SciencesWuhanChina
  2. 2.Laboratory of Coastal Zone Bioresources, Yantai Institute of Costal Zone ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesYantaiChina
  3. 3.College of Life ScienceLudong UniversityYantaiChina

Personalised recommendations