title: Safety assessment of [3S, 3'S]-astaxanthin--Subchronic toxicity study in rats.
abstract: Astaxanthin, a naturally occurring xanthophyll, is commercially used as a coloring agent in salmon feed, but also marketed as a dietary supplement. The objective of this study was to investigate the subchronic toxicity of synthetic [3S, 3'S]-Astaxanthin in rats. A powder formulation containing approximately 20% [3S, 3'S]-Astaxanthin was administered via the diet to groups of 10 male and 10 female Wistar rats at concentrations of 5000, 15,000 and 50,000 ppm for a period of 13 weeks. A formulation of comparable composition but without [3S, 3'S]-Astaxanthin served as a placebo control. There were no effects observed on survival, clinical examinations, clinical pathology, estrous cycle as well as on sperm parameters. At terminal necropsy, a macroscopically visible brown-blue discoloration of the gastrointestinal contents was noted which was considered to be secondary to the violet-brown color of the test material. No other significant or dose-related abnormalities were found in the tissues collected at termination. Our observations support that ingestion of [3S, 3'S]-Astaxanthin of up to 700-920 mg/kg bw/day in rats in a gelatin/carbohydrate formulation is without adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buesen
authors.affiliation: Product Safety, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.affiliation: Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Treumann
authors.affiliation: Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gröters
authors.affiliation: Metanomics GmbH, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Experimental Toxicology and Ecology, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany. Electronic address: bennard.ravenzwaay@basf.com.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Ravenzwaay
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D059550:Toxicity Tests, Subchronic / Q000379:methods*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014280:Triglycerides; D024341:Xanthophylls; C005948:astaxanthine; D002784:Cholesterol; D003404:Creatinine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin
keywords: Astaxanthin; Rat; Subchronic toxicity