Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Strategies for Study of Neuroprotection from Cold-preconditioning
Published on: September 2, 2010
On the Neuroprotective Role of Astaxanthin: New Perspectives?
Christian Galasso1, Ida Orefice2, Paola Pellone3
1Marine BiotechnologyDepartment, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy. christian.galasso@szn.it.
Abstract:
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity produced by several freshwater and marine microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast, fungi, and microalgae. Due to its deep red-orange color it confers a reddish hue to the flesh of salmon, shrimps, lobsters, and crayfish that feed on astaxanthin-producing organisms, which helps protect their immune system and increase their fertility. From the nutritional point of view, astaxanthin is considered one of the strongest antioxidants in nature, due to its high scavenging potential of free radicals in the human body. Recently, astaxanthin is also receiving attention for its effect on the prevention or co-treatment of neurological pathologies, including Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. In this review, we focus on the neuroprotective properties of astaxanthin and explore the underlying mechanisms to counteract neurological diseases, mainly based on its capability to cross the blood-brain barrier and its oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties.
Related Concept Videos
Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality
Psychodynamic theorists argue that unconscious...
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
The Behavioral Perspective on Personality
Social Cognitive Perspective on Personality
Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
Carl Rogers' Humanistic Perspective on Personality
The organism refers to an individual's inherent blueprint, which Rogers saw as innately positive and directed toward helping others, unlike Freud's view of the id as driven by base impulses. The self is a person's...

