Dietary carotenoids, especially xanthophylls, have attracted attention because of their characteristic biological activities, including antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Astaxanthin (ASX) is a red-orange carotenoid pigment with, and a powerful biological antioxidant with no pro-vitamin A activity, which occurs naturally in a wide variety of living organisms. In this study, oil in water nanoemulsions of astaxanthin were prepared by high and low energy methods. The influence of oil type and surfactant concentration on the particle size was investigated. The mean diameter of the best treatment was of 40nm. The effect of nano-emulsification of ASX on its bioabsorption was evaluated in a murine model. Low ASX degradation and high antioxidant activity were determined. Absorption kinetics in rats were evaluated, and it was found that nano-emulsified astaxanthin increased carotenoid plasma concentration up to 7.5-fold when compared with a reference solution.

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