• It limits the build-up of bacteria on the teeth and gums
• It forms an adhesive layer on the tooth surface, increasing contact time
• It supports reduced inflammation and helps prevent infection from progressing
• It helps reduce odour and protect oral health Studies and a VNF trial support chitosan for pet dental care In a trial in 32 dogs with periodontal disease, a chitosan gel applied to the teeth and gums every day for 14 days showed an effective reduction in bacteria and improvement in periodontal disease (Tingaes, 2022).

Another study in 18 dogs with gingivitis found that a gel containing chitosan improved inflammation after 7 days of use (Silva, 2016). A real-world trial by VNF on a dog (Nâu) also recorded a significant reduction in oral odour after five weeks of using ChitoPalD. ChitoPal-D is available as an applicator gel and an oral care liquid, suitable for regular use as directed. As pet owners increasingly seek gentle, science-backed daily care, the chitosan-based approach of Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) reflects a wider move toward natural oral health solutions in companion-animal care.

It traps fat and limits its absorption through the intestine

It supports reductions in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol

It helps limit the adverse effects associated with elevated cholesterol Study results support chitosan for cholesterol control in dogs and cats In a 45-day trial in hyperlipidemic dogs, chitosan reduced triglycerides by 44%, total cholesterol by 40% and LDL-cholesterol by 56%. In hyperlipidemic cats, the corresponding reductions reached 37%, 36% and 63% (Mosallanejad, 2018; Mosallanejad, 2016).

ChitoPal-C comes in powder and capsule forms and is given before meals or mixed into food. The product supports blood-lipid control and does not replace medication, a therapeutic diet or the instructions of a veterinarian. As pet owners increasingly look for safe, long-term nutritional support, the chitosan-based approach of Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) reflects a wider move toward science-backed metabolic health solutions in companion-animal nutrition.

OVERTURE	SUPER POWER			MISSION POSSIBLE				THE LONG & WINDING ROAD

Fact #1: Salmons swim hundreds of miles each year, battling their way through strong currents to reach the right spot in the river to lay eggs.

Fact #2: Flamingos can live up to 70 years old, considered one of the longest lifespans for birds.

Fact #3: Astaxanthin might be the closest thing to being a space astronaut. (Unless you’re Jeff Bezos). No, but seriously, “NASA considers astaxanthin essential for astronaut health”. 
In 2018, NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station tested whether Astaxanthin production could occur in space’s microgravity environment. NASA’s conclusion: Astaxanthin, as a very potent antioxidant, can promote astronaut health in space and generate immense long-term health benefits – “the secrets of life for many decades”. That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind (and shrimp co-products).

In the previous Astaxanthin article, we revealed WHERE Astaxanthin comes from (shrimp, salmon, red microalgae, etc. No, not carrots).

We also wrote, “Being multi-functional, Astaxanthin offers tremendous benefits for almost all living beings”. It’s a pretty bold statement, but we’ve quoted NASA already, so we promise to live up to it. So, if astronauts and flamingos are scoffing it up to live longer, well pour us a glass and call it “Happy Astaxanthin Hour” as we dive into HOW Astaxanthin’s works. 

Function 1: Astaxanthin – A powerhouse PIGMENT

Animals cannot synthesize Astaxanthin by themselves. Astaxanthin must be supplemented through diet. Once digested, Astaxanthin is absorbed through the small intestinal wall into the bloodstream and situatedat different organs. The presented conjugated double bonds of AST absorb light and create that beautiful red color then deposited into egg yolks, skin, flesh, feather, and shells. Hence, salmon go from white to orange and flamingos from dull grey to pink by consuming Astaxanthin. [2]

Free Astaxanthin appears red. But what about crustaceans? The shrimp you ate didn’t start with that red-orange color. This is because Astaxanthin binds with specific proteins (crustacyanin), changing its pigment and ability to absorb light. When these proteins are denatured by heat (say through cooking), the Astaxanthin pigment is freed, resulting in red all around. Merry Christmas and Hallelujah! It turns out blue-grey shrimp at the supermarket is normal, not because they’re feeling a little blue around dinnertime. [2]

Astaxanthin’s coloring ability is now leveraged in livestock and aquaculture production to enhance the sensory quality of egg yolks, salmon meat, and shrimp, thereby boosting commercial value. (The red-orange pigment reflects the product’s quality and better health value). Moreover, Astaxanthin’s pigment application has also expanded to food and cosmetics (lipstick). [3]

Function 2: Astaxanthin as an ANTIOXIDANT fighting Oxidative stress

Astaxanthin is considered to be one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet. It’s so good NASA had to bring it to space for longer life! An antioxidant’s main job is exactly as it sounds – fighting (anti) oxidative damage (oxidant) – namely FREE RADICALS.

Free radicals are these tiny evil molecules created from everyday metabolic activities in our bodies. Simply put, they are born unstable due to having an unpaired and reactive electron. A free radical’s mission: to steal that missing electron. The body wants to keep these free radicals in check because they end up stealing electrons from healthy cells, thus damaging our DNA, tissues, and cell structures – called an ‘oxidative chain reaction’.

When life gets hard, for example, changes in living conditions, unbalanced diets, diseases and aging, free radicals become over-produced, causing the body ‘oxidative damage.’

Oxidative damage is ‘biological rust’ that impairs the function of our cells and tissues – just as rust impairs an engine. Over time, oxidative damage can contribute to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, skin diseases, more visible signs of aging,…and many more.   

Astaxanthin to the rescue!

As an antioxidant, Astaxanthin can prevent the formation of free radicals and scavenge free radicals – essentially ‘lending a helping hand’ by donating and/or accepting an electron to neutralize the free radical and terminate its oxidative chain reaction. But why exactly is Astaxanthin one of the strongest (reminder: we’re talking about antioxidant properties to reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer)?

Most antioxidants are either hydrophilic (water-soluble) or lipophilic (fat-soluble), meaning their activity is limited to the protection of the aqueous (water) or lipid (fat) part of cells. Astaxanthin’s potency comes from its unique ability to span the cell membrane, protecting both the water-soluble and fat-soluble components. It can also effectively target the cardiac and skeletal muscles and reach the blood-brain barriers to protect the brain. Translation? Natural Astaxanthin is the powerful antioxidant equivalent of a tall person in the body; it can reach just about anything.

The list of benefits from supplementing Astaxanthin is long; thus why we need a 9-part Astaxanthin series. If this were a report card, we’d give Astaxanthin straight A’s. But for now, the next time you admire salmon for its colors, thank the fish for sharing its strength and antioxidant benefits with you… even if it couldn’t escape being dinner.  

Tune in to the next article as we delve deeper into Astaxanthin’s ‘power’ compared to fan favourite antioxidants and pigment enhancers. Here’s a sneak peek: Green tea is sitting there green with envy, wondering what Astaxanthin has that it doesn’t have.  

Ref:

[1]         discoverwildlife, “Flamingo guide: how to identify each species and where to see.” https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/facts-about-flamingo/ (accessed Nov. 20, 2021).

[2]         K. C. Lim, F. M. Yusoff, M. Shariff, and M. S. Kamarudin, “Astaxanthin as feed supplement in aquatic animals,” Rev. Aquac., vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 738–773, 2018, doi: 10.1111/raq.12200.

[3]         S. H. A. Raza et al., “Beneficial effects and health benefits of Astaxanthin molecules on animal production: A review,” Res. Vet. Sci., vol. 138, no. May, pp. 69–78, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.05.023.

[4]         S. Fakhri, F. Abbaszadeh, L. Dargahi, and M. Jorjani, “Astaxanthin: A mechanistic review on its biological activities and health benefits,” Pharmacol. Res., vol. 136, no. August, pp. 1–20, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.08.012.

[5]         M. Sztretye et al., “Astaxanthin: A Potential Mitochondrial-Targeted Antioxidant Treatment in Diseases and with Aging,” Oxid. Med. Cell. Longev., vol. 2019, 2019, doi: 10.1155/2019/3849692.

OVERTURE	SUPER POWER			MISSION POSSIBLE				THE LONG & WINDING ROAD

As a big fan of VNF (we trust you are), you have probably become familiar with VNF’s Peptides and Chitosan retrieved from shrimp by-products. Yet, the same shrimp by-products (that you throw away) keep on astounding us with more potential extracted value and nutrients. This time, the “magical” superfood –“Astaxanthin” – also known as the “King of Antioxidants”! Hidden in various structures in different objects, Astaxanthin boasts a vibrant color with many superpowers!

To fully comprehend what superpowers exist in Astaxanthin, let’s dive into what it is, where it comes from and what it can be used for.

WHAT IS ASTAXANTHIN & WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Astaxanthin was first identified and isolated from lobster by Richard Kuhn in 1938. That same year, Kuhn was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on carotenoids and vitamins ^[1].

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid of red pigment, naturally found in the skin, meat, fins, and shells of crustaceans, crabs, salmon and red microalgae, etc. However, the typical red color of Astaxanthin is sometimes “disguised” in blue, yellow or dark brown because Astaxanthin binds with a particular protein (for example, in shrimps) and can only be released when cooked.

Animals CAN NOT synthesize Astaxanthin de novo. Therefore, aquatic animals (shrimps and salmon) and humans have to acquire Astaxanthin from their diet. In nature, ONLY certain microalgae, yeast and bacteria can biosynthesize Astaxanthin ^[2]. Microalgae – the primary and most common source – once consumed, then transfer Astaxanthin to zooplankton, crustaceans and fish. This explains why farmed shrimp and salmon normally appear paler in meat/shell color compared with wild aquaculture. Farmers, therefore, must add red carotenoid pigments (such as Astaxanthin) to the feed to deliver more vibrantly colored shrimp and salmon.

WHERE DOES ASTAXANTHIN’S SUPERPOWER COME FROM?

Microalgae create Astaxanthin under unfavorable living conditions, such as lack of nutrients, increased salinity, or excessive sunshine. Thus, astaxanthin serves as the microalgae’s defense response against environmental stress to survive and grow – thereby demonstrating Astaxanthin’s inherently potent antioxidant activity, the same function that Astaxanthin is most famous for.

Astaxanthin’s superpower extends beyond being an Antioxidant. In fact, Astaxanthin is even considered a “Superfood”, capable of supporting almost all the functions of the living body (gastrointestinal tract, immune, circulatory, nervous and reproductive system, etc.) and organs (muscles, joints, skin and eyes, etc.). Astaxanthin also exerts anti-cancer effects!

Being multi-functional, Astaxanthin offers tremendous benefits for almost all living beings – from aquatic animals (fish, shrimp), land-based (swine, cow, chicken), pets (dogs, cats) and Humans. Natural Astaxanthin promises a massive breakthrough in preventative healthcare for all!

COMMON SOURCES OF ASTAXANTHIN & THEIR CONSTRAINTS

There are 2 common sources of Astaxanthin: Synthetic Astaxanthin (~90% market share in 2014) ^[3] and Natural Astaxanthin (mostly from microalgae).

Astaxanthin is not widely used despite proven effects, mainly due to limited supply (especially for Natural Astaxanthin, which requires sophisticated technology and production cost barriers). Therefore, unless we solve the cost issues, we are restricted from exploring Astaxanthin’s potentials and applications fully.

‘Shrimp-based Astaxanthin’ could be the key answer!

Using shrimp by-products with abundant and increasing supply, VNF’s proprietary technology (applying biotechnological zero-waste mindset) enables highly efficient and cost–competitive extraction of Natural Astaxanthin.

As one of the very few companies capable of mass-scale Shrimp-based Astaxanthin production, VNF aims to expand Astaxanthin supply and make it accessible for all industries. Starting first with Animals – inherently high demand but currently quite pricey – Astaxanthin can improve overall health, possibly reduce antibiotics use, improve welfare… thus increasing farming efficiency aligned to more natural and sustainable directions.

References:

[1] Award ceremony speech. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2021. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1938/ceremony-speech/ [assessed 12 Nov 2021]

[2] B. Capelli, D. Bagchi & G. Cysewski (2013), “Synthetic astaxanthin is significantly inferior to algal-based astaxanthin as an antioxidant and may not be suitable as a human nutraceutical supplement” Nutrafoods., doi: 12. 10.1007/s13749-013-0051-5.

[3] S. H. A. Raza et al., “Beneficial effects and health benefits of Astaxanthin molecules on animal production: A review,” Res. Vet. Sci., vol. 138, no. March, pp. 69–78, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.05.023.

As a leading company in Vietnam regarding seafood protein extraction production, VNF was able to showcase some noteworthy products, including high-grade protein extract, Shrimp Soluble Extract powder, Astaxathin, and Chitosan. In doing so, VNF was able to successfully enhance trade promotions and exchange technological production techniques with potential global partners.

This exhibition enabled VNF to connect its products with over 600 customers worldwide and identify long-term strategic partnerships, thereby increasing VNF’s brand in the feed industry. Ultimately, VNF has gained an abundance of insightful knowledge from VIV Asia partners that will help VNF to “go global” even further

VNF at VIV Asia 2019  below 4