"Therapeutic uses of natural astaxanthin: An evidence-based review focused on human clinical trials".

Astaxanthin is a natural C40 carotenoid with numerous reported biological functions, most of them associated with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, standing out from other antioxidants as it has shown the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), 100-500 times higher than ⍺-tocopherol and a 10 times higher free radical inhibitory activity than related antioxidants (α-tocopherol, α-carotene, β -carotene, lutein and lycopene). In vitro and in vivo studies have associated astaxanthin´s unique molecular features with several health benefits, including neuroprotective, cardioprotective and antitumoral properties, suggesting its therapeutic potential for the prevention or co-treatment of dementia, Alzheimer, Parkinson, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Benefits on skin and eye health promotion have also been reported, highlighting its potential for the prevention of skin photo-aging and the treatment of eye diseases like glaucoma, cataracts and uveitis. In this review, we summarize and discuss the currently available evidence on astaxanthin benefits, with a particular focus on human clinical trials, including a brief description of the potential mechanisms of action responsible for its biological activities.