Astaxanthin delivery systems for skin application

Abstract

Astaxanthin (AST) is a biomolecule known for its powerful antioxidant effect, which is considered of great importance in biochemical research and has great potential for application in cosmetics, food products beneficial to human health and medicines. Unfortunately, its poor solubility in water, chemical instability and low oral bioavailability make their applications in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical field a real challenge for the development of new products. To favor the search for alternatives to enhance and make possible the use of astaxanthin in formulations, this article aimed to review the scientific data on in its application in delivery systems. The search was made in databases without time restriction using keywords such as astaxanthin, delivery systems, skin, cosmetic, topical, and dermal. All delivery systems found, such as liposomes, particulate systems, inclusion complexes, emulsions, and films, presented peculiar advantages able to enhance astaxanthin properties, among which are stability, antioxidant potential, biological activities, and drug release. This survey showed that further studies are needed for the industrial development of new astaxanthin-containing cosmetics and topical formulations.