Quick Search
Canthaxanthin is a keto-carotenoid pigment widely distributed in nature.
Carotenoids belong to a larger class of phytochemicals known as terpenoids.
The chemical formula of canthaxanthin is C40H52O2.
CAS: 514-78-3
MF: C40H52O2
MW: 564.85
EINECS: 208-187-2
Synonyms
4,4'-DIKETO-BETA-CAROTENE;4',4-DIOXO-B-CAROTENE;CANTHAXANTHIN,POWDER;2,4,4-trimethyl-3-[(1E,3Z,5E,7Z,9E,11Z,13E,15Z,17E)-3,7,12,16-tetramethyl-18-(2,6,6-trimethyl-3-oxo-1-cyclohexenyl)octadeca-1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17-nonaenyl]cyclohex-2-en-1-one;Cantaxanthine;FOOD ORANGE 8;E 161 G;BETA,BETA-CAROTENE-4,4'-DIONE
Canthaxanthin was first isolated in edible mushrooms.
Canthaxanthin has also been found in green algae, bacteria, crustaceans, and bioaccumulates in fish such as carp, golden grey mullet, seabream and trush wrasse.
Canthaxanthin is associated with E number E161g and is approved for use as a food coloring agent in different countries, including the United States and the EU; however, it is not approved for use in Australia and New Zealand.
Canthaxanthin is generally authorized for feed applications in at least the following countries: US, Canada, EU.
In the EU, canthaxanthin is allowed by law to be added to trout feed, salmon feed and poultry feed.
The European Union limit is 80 mg/kg of feedstuffs, 8 mg/kg in feed for egg laying hens and 25 mg/kg in feed for other poultry and salmonids.
Canthaxanthin is a potent lipid-soluble antioxidant.
The biological functions of canthaxanthin are related, at least in part, to its ability to function as an antioxidant (free radical scavenging/vitamin E sparing) in animal tissues.
A carotenone that consists of beta,beta-carotene bearing two oxo substituents at positions 4 and 4'.
Canthaxanthin (red diketocarotenoid or 4, 4′-diketo-β-carotene), is a common xanthophyll found naturally in microorganisms and marine organisms, as well as in certain animals.
Canthaxanthin acts as an antioxidant in living organisms.
The potential antioxidant activity of canthaxanthin is due to the presence of conjugated double bonds in its structure.
Canthaxanthin finds applications in various fields including poultry, fishery, cosmetics, medicine, and pharmaceuticals.
In food industries, canthaxanthin can be used as a coloring agent.
Canthaxanthin is a dye that is similar to the chemical that makes carrots orange.
Canthaxanthin occurs naturally and can also be made in a laboratory. People use it as medicine.
Canthaxanthin is used to reduce sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity) experienced by people who have a rare genetic disease called erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP).
In these people, sunlight can cause skin reactions such as rash, itch, and eczema.
Canthaxanthin is also used to reduce sun sensitivity caused by certain medications and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Canthaxanthin is a dye similar to the carotenes in vegetables such as carrots.
Canthaxanthin deposits in the skin to produce an artificial "tan."
Canthaxanthin might protect against sun sensitivity through antioxidant activity.
Orobronze (canthaxanthin) is sold in Canada as a nonprescription "tanning pill."
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved tanning pills containing canthaxanthin.
Nevertheless, these products seem to be readily available to people in the U.S. through mail order and tanning salons.
In foods, canthaxanthin is used as food coloring and is added to animal feed to improve the color of chicken skins, egg yolks, salmon, and trout.
Canthaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment that belongs to the class of tetraterpenoids, characterized by its vibrant orange-red color.
Canthaxanthin is a naturally occurring compound found in various organisms, including certain fungi, algae, and the feathers of some birds.
The chemical formula for canthaxanthin is C40H52O2, and it features a complex structure with multiple conjugated double bonds, contributing to its strong pigmentation and antioxidant properties.
Canthaxanthin is often used as a food coloring agent in the aquaculture industry to enhance the coloration of fish and crustaceans, as well as in cosmetics and dietary supplements due to its potential health benefits.
Canthaxanthin is known for its stability under heat and light, making it suitable for various applications.
However, its use is regulated in some regions due to safety concerns, and Canthaxanthin is important to adhere to guidelines regarding its consumption.
Overall, canthaxanthin is valued for its aesthetic and potential health-promoting properties, while also being a subject of ongoing research in nutritional science.
All-trans-Canthaxanthin - Technical grade is a carotenoid compound, which is a naturally occurring pigment.
Canthaxanthin is typically sourced through chemical synthesis or extraction from microorganisms such as algae or fungi.
This compound functions as an antioxidant, donating electrons to neutralize free radicals, thereby preventing oxidative damage within cellular structures.
The principal applications of all-trans-Canthaxanthin lie in its ability to enhance coloration in the tissues of aquatic life and birds.
In aquaculture, Canthaxanthin is added to fish feed to intensify the red or orange hues in species such as salmon and trout.
In the poultry industry, Canthaxanthin is used to improve the pigmentation of egg yolks and the skin of broilers.
The inclusion of canthaxanthin not only affects external appearance but may also contribute to overall health by bolstering antioxidant defenses.
Study of its precise biochemical pathways and potential long-term impacts remains an active area of research.
Canthaxanthin yellow is a natural pigment with great potential as an antioxidant, which has the ability to quench reactive oxygen species and scavenge free radicals.
Canthaxanthin's ability to quench reactive oxygen species and scavenge free radicals is second only to astaxanthin, and it is β- Carotenoids are nearly twice as much as vitamin E and fifty times more than vitamin E, also known as super vitamin E.
World Health Organization (WHO)
Canthaxanthin, a naturally-occurring carotenoid with a deep redorange colour, is widely used as a food colouring agent. Since the mid-1970s it has been included in oral 'artificial suntan' preparations.
Canthaxanthin is also available in preparations used in the treatment of certain photodermatoses.
By the mid-1980s Canthaxanthin's use in such preparations had been associated with the accumulation of crystalline deposits in the retina. Reported functional changes relating to dark adaptation have been of marginal clinical significance and largely reversible.
Nevertheless, this has led to the withdrawal of artificial suntan preparations containing canthaxanthin by several regulatory authorities.
Preparations for treatment of photodermatoses remain available in some but not all of these countries.
Canthaxanthin Chemical Properties
Melting point: 217～218℃
Boiling point: 717.0±40.0 °C(Predicted)
density: 1.003±0.06 g/cm3(Predicted)
storage temp.: -20°C
solubility: Chloroform (Slightly)
form: Solid
color: Very Dark Red to Black
biological source: synthetic
λmax: λ: 465 nm±5 nm Amax
Merck: 13,1758
BRN: 1898520
Stability: Light Sensitive
Major Application: food and beverages
Cosmetics Ingredients Functions: COLORANT
InChIKey: FDSDTBUPSURDBL-DKLMTRRASA-N
LogP: 9.526 (est)
CAS DataBase Reference: 514-78-3(CAS DataBase Reference)
Uses
Canthaxanthin is a synthetic red colorant that is the carotenoid of most intense red color.
Canthaxanthin is available in oil-soluble, oil-dispersible, and water-dispersible forms.
Canthaxanthin has fair ph, heat, light, and chemical stability with a low tinctorial strength.
unlike the carotenoids beta- carotene and beta-apo-8-carotenal, it does not possess vitamin a activity.
Maximum usage level is 66 ppm. uses include carbonated soft drinks, salad dressing, and spaghetti sauce.
Permissible color additive for food and drugs (exempt from certification): Fed. Regist. 34, no. 5 (Jan. 8, 1969). Oral suntanning agent.
Application of animal coloring mainly used for skin coloring and egg yolk coloring of poultry.
Canthaxanthin is better deposited by the gastrointestinal mucosal epithelial cells in tissues such as subcutaneous and yolk, which significantly deepens the egg yellow color of the birds and improves the skin color of the birds.
The application of cosmetics Canthaxanthin is a very safe edible pigment, its color is bright, giving a happy and pleasant feeling, added to cosmetics, can achieve a more ideal color effect.
The application of medical treatment Mainly apply its better antioxidant capacity, reduce free radicals in the human body, thereby playing a role in anti-oxidation and anti-aging, prevention of cardiovascular disease, improvement of immunity and anti-cancer.
1.The application of animal coloring is mainly used for coloring the skin of poultry and coloring egg yolks.
Canthaxanthin is well deposited by the epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal mucosa in subcutaneous and yolk tissues, significantly deepening the egg yolk color of poultry and improving the chemical book color of poultry skin.
2. The application of cantharidin in cosmetics is a very safe and edible pigment, with bright colors that give people a joyful feeling.
Adding Canthaxanthin to cosmetics can achieve an ideal color effect.
Biosynthesis
Due to the commercial value of carotenoids, their biosynthesis has been studied extensively in both natural producers, and non-natural (heterologous) systems such as the bacteria Escherichia coli and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Canthaxanthin biosynthesis proceeds from beta-carotene via the action of a single protein, known as a beta-carotene ketolase, that is able to add a carbonyl group to carbon 4 and 4' of the beta carotene molecule.
Although functionally identical, several distinct beta-carotene ketolase proteins are known.
That is to say they differ from an evolutionary perspective in their primary amino acid/protein sequence.
They are different proteins that complete the same function.
Thus, bacterial (CrtW) and micro-algal beta-carotene ketolase proteins such as BKT isolated from Haematococcus pluvialis are known.
Due to the nature of canthaxanthin, relative to astaxanthin (a carotenoid of significant commercial value) these beta-carotene ketolase proteins have been studied extensively.
An E. coli based production system has been developed, that achieved canthanaxanthin production at 170 mg/L in lab scale fermentation.
