On the one hand, we’ve publicly announced we’ll be launching a RED product for Christmas. (We’re actually very proud of this timing. I bet our Marketing team got a raise for this).
But on the other hand, we want to share with you all the new Astaxanthin application discoveries we’ve learnt this past year. Research that will prove even further why this unassuming red pigment is revolutionary.
Astaxanthin has long been applied in Aquaculture and Poultry Farming to enhance both the natural color and nutrient content. Think more intense red/orange salmon, shrimp and egg yolks, with the advantage of that color being an Antioxidant! Nutritious and Delicious. Being multi-functional (an antioxidant, immune-stimulant and anti-inflammatory), there is a wide belief that the addition of Astaxanthin will strengthen the animals’ bodily health and stress tolerance. Particularly, Astaxanthin exhibits strong bioactivities in enhancing the quality and quantity of embryos and offspring – leading to higher reproductive performance.
At VNF, we’ve chosen to focus our efforts on this traditional application of Astaxanthin: Aquaculture, Livestock & Poultry farming – as our debut into the Astaxanthin industry. To prove this direction, VNF cooperated with Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture & Forestry on an Astaxanthin trial with Laying Hens. VNF’s Astaxanthin (even at a very low concentration) was proven to have higher efficacy than common pigment additives, including better laying rate, FCR, egg yolk ratio, etc. And from trials on land to the water, VNF is now in serious talks with a major shrimp industry player to set up a trial using VNF Astaxanthin, potentially in December 2021! Shrimp cocktail for everyone this Christmas! [Stay tuned for more updates of VNF’s upcoming projects].
Dressed red for success and armed with triumphant trials, VNF’s Astaxanthin promises immense potential to effectively and economically replace synthetic pigment additives to better animals’ welfare and peoples’ wellbeing.
Owing to the qualities mentioned above, VNF’s natural Astaxanthin has also attracted eager interest as a Functional Ingredient for pets and humans. Astaxanthin’s powerful antioxidant capacity enables comprehensive application benefits, from eye and skin health to anti-cancer and anti-aging. Astaxanthin’s underlying antioxidant activity is due to the nature of the terminal ring moiety capable of trapping radicals on the surface and inside the phospholipid membrane [1]. In contrast, Vitamin C can only trap on the surface and b- carotene inside the phospholipid layers.
With Astaxanthin, Animals, Pets And Humans can lead a healthier, happier and longer life!
Reference
[1] Goto, S., Kogure, K., Abe, K., Kimata, Y., Kitahama, K., Yamashita, E., Terada, H., 2001.Efficient radical trapping at the surface and inside the phospholipid membrane is responsible for highly potent antiperoxidative activity of the carotenoid Astaxanthin. Biochim. Biophys. Acta (BBA) Biomembr. 1512, 251–258.