Absorbability of Astaxanthin Was Much Lower in Obese Mice Than in Normal Mice

Astaxanthin
has been favored as a health food supplement by obese
consumers. However, no detailed descriptions are available concerning
the absorption of astaxanthin in obese individuals. In this study,
we conducted acute and chronic feeding experiments in C57BL/6J mice
to study the differences in astaxanthin absorption in normal and obese
bodies. The obesity condition greatly decreased astaxanthin concentration
in the blood and liver, its accumulation in tissues and organs, and
the bioaccessibility. This may be related to the excessive intake
of sucrose, fatty acids, and cholesterol, the increased gastrointestinal
motility, and the disorder of gut microbiota in the obese body. Overall,
our study showed that the obese body had a far less oral absorbability
of astaxanthin than a normal body, and we suggest that the recommended
or approved doses of astaxanthin can be properly increased for the
obese body in the hope that astaxanthin will play a more active role
in obese individuals.