Valensa Achieve Astaxanthin Stability Breakthrough

The greater stability profile of Zanthin astaxanthin will allow formulators of nutraceutical products to use smaller safety margins (overage) to assure consumers of efficacy in products on a store shelf, which can lead to cost savings.

20 Aug 2009 --- Valensa International has developed technology that has dramatically increased the stability and shelf-life of the powerful, versatile antioxidant astaxanthin. The company has just completed a 7-year shelf-life study of its Zanthin natural astaxanthin that indicates that this ultra-high pressure supercritical CO2 extract of Haematococcus pluvialis, bolstered by Valensa’s proprietary O2B Peroxidation Blocker technology has a minimum 4-year shelf-life. Published reports by other astaxanthin producers indicate ranges of 1 – 2 years under refrigeration as the existing state-of-the-art for astaxanthin stability. Effective immediately, Valensa has raised its Zanthin brand astaxanthin oleoresin stability recommendation to 4 years at 20º C. The greater stability profile of Zanthin astaxanthin will allow formulators of nutraceutical products to use smaller safety margins (overage) to assure consumers of efficacy in products on a store shelf, which can lead to cost savings.

According to Rudi E. Moerck, President & CEO of Valensa International, it is incumbent on producers of nutraceutical ingredients to manage the stability issues of their extracted products to assure safety and quality. “Any time you extract oils or oleoresins from natural materials, you are faced with stability issues relating to oxidative degradation. At Valensa, we have developed a considerable body of expertise in addressing the stability of our extracted products, continually developing new extraction methodologies and developing customized stabilization packages that are natural and protect our products and the people who use them,” he said. “The data in our just concluded study are a confirmation of why our customers put their trust in Zanthin natural astaxanthin as the best and most stable astaxanthin ingredient on the market today. Essentially, we have been able to eliminate stability concerns and create a new level of astaxanthin shelf-life for our customers,” he added. Moerck went on to point out that the company’s position as a fully-integrated supplier with chain of custody over raw materials growing and harvesting through the extraction process is source for overall quality for its Zanthin natural astaxanthin and contributes to the company’s ability to manage shelf-life issues. Valensa now recommends a 5% safety margin, or “overage”, for its astaxanthin as compared to the 10% the industry typically uses.

A member of the carotenoid family, astaxanthin is one of the most powerful lipophilic antioxidants yet discovered. As an antioxidant, it has been shown to be up to 500 times more powerful than Vitamin E, 10 times more potent as beta-carotene and 5 times more potent than lutein. Astaxanthin, unlike some carotenoids, does not convert to Vitamin A (retinol) in the human body. This high level of antioxidant activity means much better ability to address the many age-onset conditions related to oxidative stress.

With its unique biochemistry, astaxanthin should be considered as a component in every antioxidant formulation. Because of its potency, it can function as a ‘booster shot’ for common antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E. Even more importantly, astaxanthin’s chemistry could stop these antioxidants from becoming ‘pro-oxidants’. Astaxanthin is a multi-functional antioxidant. It is one of the more potent quenchers of singlet oxygen. It also has the ability to efficiently trap peroxyl radicals, thus inhibiting that pathway of lipid peroxidation.

Valensa International is the world’s leading manufacturer of finished form natural astaxanthin extract. It was the first company to have finished form material approved for use by regulatory agencies in both the United States and Europe. Valensa employs its proprietary DeepExtract supercritical CO2 process to create the best quality materials and its O2B Peroxidation Blocker stabilization technology to ensure long-term stability and efficacy for the consumer. The company employs dedicated organic certified facilities for the extraction of astaxanthin to ensure quality and avoid the potential for contamination by solvents or allergens that can occur when an astaxanthin extractor is also producing other products – such as peanuts or shell-fish-based materials – in the same equipment. Scientific studies of stability chemistry with extracted plant-derived oleoresins have allowed Valensa to move beyond ingredients such as safflower oil – a diluent widely used in the industry and which that actually increases oxidative degradation – to custom tailored stabilization packages designed for the product in question.