GUSTAVO A. SERRANO¹*, YASUHIRO NISHIDA², VINCENT WOOD¹
*Corresponding author
1. AstaReal Co., Ltd., The Front Tower Shiba Koen, 12th Floor, 2-6-3 Shiba Koen, Minato-ku Tokyo, 105-0011, Japan
2. Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd 55 Yokohoonji, Kamiichi-machi, Nakaniikawa-Gun, Toyama 930-0397, Japan 

Abstract

Natural astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant with health benefits. Natural astaxanthin neutralizes free radicals by accepting or donating electrons and without being destroyed or becoming a pro-oxidant. Numerous study results have shown natural astaxanthin supplementation contributes to circulatory benefits and protective effects against atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. Abundant evidence has shown natural astaxanthin supplementation improved blood vessels function and blood fluidity. The blood pressure decreasing mechanism may be in part explained by the changes of vascular reactivity and blood flow. Natural astaxanthin can restore the Nitric Oxide (NO) dependent relaxation and sensitivity to constriction mechanisms. However, additional studies should be performed to provide new insights about natural astaxanthin’s antioxidant effects on blood rheology.

INTRODUCTION

Peripheral circulation directly contributes to systemic cell environments. When the balance of oxidants and antioxidant protection is disrupted because of increasing levels of free radicals in the cell, peripheral circulation fails due to increased fibrinogen concentrations (1, 2), blood viscosity (3-5), plasma viscosity (6), red blood cell (RBC) aggregation (7), impaired RBC deformability (8), and thus the pathological effects of diseases such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, and hypertension are manifested.
In 2011 nearly 55 million people died in the world. Cardiovascular diseases killed nearly 17 million, hypertension killed 7.5 million, ischemic heart disease killed another 7 million, and stroke killed 6.2 million people. All the killer diseases above are related to hypertension (9). Hypertension, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes are illnesses associated with endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is associated with the production of reactive oxidative species (ROS), which when excessively generated could lead to inflammation, myofibroblast migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells inside the vessel ...