Database Query Results : Astaxanthin, ,

ASTX, Astaxanthin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:

Astaxanthin — a lipophilic xanthophyll carotenoid antioxidant (often sourced from Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae and also present in salmon/crustaceans) used as a nutraceutical with prominent redox and inflammation-modulating biology. It is formally classified as a small-molecule dietary carotenoid (natural product / nutraceutical). Common abbreviations include ASTX and AXT. In oncology-context literature it is primarily discussed as a chemopreventive/cytoprotective redox modulator with context-dependent direct antitumor effects, and with theoretical concern for antagonizing ROS-mediated chemo/radiation mechanisms in some settings.
The European Commission considers natural astaxanthin as a food dye

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. NRF2 pathway activation with downstream antioxidant/phase-II enzyme program (context-dependent; often cytoprotective)
  2. Suppression of inflammatory signaling including NF-κB axis with downstream COX-2/iNOS and cytokine modulation
  3. Growth/survival signaling modulation (context-dependent), commonly reported on PI3K–AKT, ERK/MAPK, STAT3
  4. Mitochondria-linked apoptosis induction and cell-cycle perturbation in select tumor models (dose/model-dependent)
  5. Anti-migration/anti-EMT phenotype (e.g., MMPs, cadherin switch; model-dependent)
  6. Ferroptosis/redox-lethal interactions reported in limited models (model-dependent)

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Poor aqueous solubility and variable oral absorption (fat/formulation-dependent). Plasma exposure is typically low with standard oral supplements; engineered formulations (micellar/nanoemulsion) can increase Cmax and shorten Tmax. Reported terminal half-life in healthy volunteers is on the order of ~1–2 days in at least one human PK study.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many mechanistic cancer studies use micromolar astaxanthin concentrations that can exceed typical human plasma levels after supplementation; therefore, mechanistic claims are frequently concentration- and formulation-limited for systemic antitumor translation.

Clinical evidence status: Predominantly preclinical (cell/animal) for direct anticancer claims. Human evidence is stronger for oxidative stress/inflammation biomarker modulation than for anticancer efficacy endpoints; not an approved anticancer drug. Practical oncology use is mainly adjunctive/chemopreventive framing, with caution discussed around concurrent ROS-dependent chemo/radiation.

Astaxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid with exceptionally strong antioxidant capacity. In cancer biology, it shows context-dependent effects—largely chemopreventive and cytoprotective, with limited evidence as a direct antineoplastic agent.
Astaxanthin significantly promotes the proliferation of Akkermansia, a microorganism with enhanced anti-tumor immune effects.
Anti-inflammatory signaling, Astaxanthin can inhibit: NF-κB, COX-2, iNOS
Astaxanthin commonly Activates NRF2: Upregulates antioxidant enzymes (GSH, SOD, CAT, GPX)
-Protective in normal tissues
-Potentially tumor-protective in established cancers

Often discouraged during active chemotherapy or radiation
It may:
-Protect tumor cells from ROS-mediated killing
-Reduce lipid peroxidation-based therapies
This concern is similar to:
-Vitamin E
-Trolox
-High-dose carotenoids

Astaxanthin is less likely to be pro-oxidant than lycopene or β-carotene.
Some reports indicate a pro-oxidant effect, but at concentrations that are not achievable for in vito.

Astaxanthin — mechanistic pathway map (cancer-context)

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 NRF2 antioxidant response ↑ NRF2 (context-dependent) → ↓ ROS injury; may blunt ROS-lethal therapies ↑ NRF2 → ↑ GSH/SOD/CAT/GPx; cytoprotection R/G Redox buffering and stress tolerance Often positioned as protective; in established tumors this can be tumor-supportive depending on therapy and redox state.
2 NF-κB inflammatory signaling ↓ NF-κB → ↓ pro-survival inflammation (model-dependent) ↓ inflammatory cytokine signaling R/G Anti-inflammatory microenvironment shift Commonly linked to ↓ COX-2/iNOS and reduced inflammatory tone.
3 PI3K–AKT survival signaling ↓ PI3K/AKT (model-dependent) → ↑ apoptosis, ↓ proliferation ↔ / mild cytoprotective bias (context-dependent) R/G Survival pathway suppression in select tumors Directionality is model- and dose-dependent; some datasets show mixed AKT effects.
4 ERK/MAPK signaling ↓ ERK/MAPK (model-dependent) → ↓ proliferation/EMT ↔ / ↓ stress-activated signaling (context-dependent) R/G Anti-growth signaling modulation Often reported alongside PI3K/AKT changes; may converge on apoptosis/cell-cycle effects.
5 STAT3 axis ↓ STAT3 → ↓ proliferation, ↓ immune-evasion programs (model-dependent) ↔ G Reduced oncogenic transcription signaling Reported in prostate and other models; typically framed as anti-tumor signaling.
6 Mitochondria-mediated apoptosis ↑ intrinsic apoptosis (BAX↑, Bcl-2↓, caspases↑; model-dependent) ↓ stress-induced apoptosis (cytoprotection) R Cell death modulation Key “anti-tumor” readout in many studies; may require higher concentrations than typical systemic exposure.
7 Cell cycle control ↑ p21/p27 and/or arrest signatures (model-dependent) ↔ G Proliferation braking Often co-occurs with apoptosis; direction varies with cell line and dosing.
8 EMT and matrix remodeling ↓ EMT; ↓ MMPs; ↑ E-cadherin (model-dependent) ↔ G Anti-migration / anti-metastatic phenotype Reported via miRNA and cadherin/MMP changes in some colon/breast models.
9 Angiogenesis signaling ↓ VEGF/EGFR signaling (limited, model-dependent) ↔ G Reduced pro-angiogenic drive Less consistently central than NRF2/NF-κB/PI3K–AKT in the literature.
10 Ferroptosis and lipid peroxidation balance ↔ / ↑ ferroptosis (limited models) but also ↓ lipid peroxidation (context-dependent) ↓ lipid peroxidation injury R Redox-lethal interaction or protection (context-dependent) Net effect depends strongly on baseline oxidative state and whether therapy relies on lipid peroxidation.
11 Clinical Translation Constraint Low/variable oral exposure; many in-vitro effects are high-concentration. Antioxidant/NRF2 biology raises a plausible antagonism risk for ROS-dependent chemo/radiation (context-dependent). Formulation and dosing strategy strongly influence exposure. — Translational ceiling Best-supported human domain is oxidative stress/inflammation biomarkers rather than anticancer efficacy endpoints.

TSF legend: P: 0–30 min    R: 30 min–3 hr    G: >3 hr
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
5420- ASTX,    A New Tailored Nanodroplet Carrier of Astaxanthin Can Improve Its Pharmacokinetic Profile and Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Efficacies
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*eff↑, *SOD↑, *BioAv↑,
4821- ASTX,    Astaxanthin Reduces Stemness Markers in BT20 and T47D Breast Cancer Stem Cells by Inhibiting Expression of Pontin and Mutant p53
- in-vitro, BC, SkBr3 - in-vitro, BC, BT20 - in-vitro, BC, T47D
Apoptosis↑, CSCs↓, OCT4↓, Nanog↓, TumCP↓,
4822- ASTX,  Rad,    Astaxanthin Synergizes with Ionizing Radiation (IR) in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC)
tumCV↓, selectivity↑, RadioS↑, GPx4↓, Ferroptosis↑,
4823- ASTX,    Astaxanthin increases radiosensitivity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through inducing apoptosis and G2/M arrest
- in-vitro, ESCC, NA
RadioS↑, Apoptosis↑, TumCCA↑, Bcl-2↓, CycB/CCNB1↓, CDC2↓, BAX↑,
4824- ASTX,  Rad,    Astaxanthin protects the radiation-induced lung injury in C57BL/6 female mice
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*radioP↑, Inflam↓,
4825- ASTX,    In vivo protective efficacy of astaxanthin against ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*DNAdam↓, *radioP↑,
5417- ASTX,    Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study of Standard Astaxanthin and its Micellar Formulation in Healthy Male Volunteers
- Study, Nor, NA
*antiOx↑, *BioAv↓, *Dose↝, *BioAv↑,
5418- ASTX,    Astaxanthin supplementation mildly reduced oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Review, Nor, NA
*MDA↓, *SOD↑, *IL6↓, *ROS↓, *Inflam↓,
5419- ASTX,    Astaxanthin and other Nutrients from Haematococcus pluvialis—Multifunctional Applications
- Review, Nor, NA
*antiOx↑, *Inflam↓, *AntiDiabetic↓, AntiCan↑, *lipid-P↓, TumCP↓, Apoptosis↑, TumCCA↑, *SOD↑, *PGE2↓, *NO↓, *IL8↓, *IFN-γ↓, *cardioP↑, *NF-kB↓, *TNF-α↓, *BioAv↑,
4820- ASTX,    Astaxanthin suppresses the malignant behaviors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by blocking PI3K/AKT and NF-κB pathways via miR-29a-3p
- in-vitro, NPC, NA
TumCP↓, TumCI↓, Apoptosis↑, TumCCA↑, cycD1/CCND1↓, Bcl-2↓, P21↑, BAX↑, PI3K↓, Akt↓, NF-kB↓, miR-29b↑,
5421- ASTX,    Astaxanthin Inhibits PC-3 Xenograft Prostate Tumor Growth in Nude Mice
- in-vivo, Pca, NA
TumCG↑, Ki-67↑, PCNA↓, GutMicro↑, *Inflam↓, *cardioP↑, *ROS↓,
5422- ASTX,    Improved intestinal absorption and oral bioavailability of astaxanthin using poly (ethylene glycol)-graft-chitosan nanoparticles: preparation, in vitro evaluation, and pharmacokinetics in rats
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*antiOx↑, *AntiDiabetic↑, *toxicity∅, *BioAv↓, *BioAv↑,
5423- ASTX,    Pharmacokinetic Profile of Astaxanthin Nanoemulsion Using HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) With Oral Routes
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*BioAv↓, *antiOx↑, *BioAv↑, *Half-Life↝,
5424- ASTX,    Astaxanthin exerts an adjunctive anti-cancer effect through the modulation of gut microbiota and mucosal immunity
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*GutMicro↑, AntiCan↑, eff↑, AntiTum↑, ChemoSen↑,
5425- ASTX,    Multiple roles of fucoxanthin and astaxanthin against Alzheimer's disease: Their pharmacological potential and therapeutic insights
- in-vivo, AD, NA
*neuroP↑, *antiOx↑, *Inflam↑, *AChE↓, *BACE↓, *MAOA↓, *Aβ↓, *memory↑, *MDA↓, *SOD↑, *NRF2↑, *HO-1↑, *NF-kB↓, *GSK‐3β↓, *ChAT↑, *iNOS↓, *ROS↓, *BBB↑,
5426- ASTX,  Cisplatin,    Astaxanthin Prevents a Decrease of Hemopoietic Activity in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Cisplatin Chemotherapy (Randomized Controlled Trial)
- Trial, HNSCC, NA
ROS↓, SOD↑, MDA↓, eff↑,
5427- ASTX,    Astaxanthin and Cancer Chemoprevention
- Review, Var, NA
chemoP↑, AntiCan↑, chemoPv↑, Risk↓, lipid-P↓, Pain↓, BioAv↑, Dose↝,
4804- ASTX,    Astaxanthin in cancer therapy and prevention (Review)
- Review, Var, NA - Review, AD, NA
*antiOx↑, *Inflam↓, ChemoSen⇅, chemoP↑, BioAv↑, TumCP↑, ROS⇅, Apoptosis↑, PI3K↑, Akt↑, GSK‐3β↑, NRF2↑, AntiCan↑, *neuroP↑, eff↑, AntiTum↑,
4819- ASTX,    Astaxanthin Induces Apoptosis in MCF-7 Cells through a p53-Dependent Pathway
- in-vitro, BC, MCF-7
antiOx↑, AntiTum↑, TumCD↑, P53↑, P21↑, Apoptosis↑, Dose↝, Casp3↑,
4818- ASTX,  MEL,    Effect of astaxanthin and melatonin on cell viability and DNA damage in human breast cancer cell lines
- in-vitro, BC, MDA-MB-231 - in-vitro, BC, T47D - in-vitro, Nor, MCF10
TumCD↑, DNAdam↑, *antiOx↑, *AntiTum↑, Inflam↓, tumCV↓, Bcl-2↓, Apoptosis↓, selectivity↑, eff↑, Dose↓,
4817- ASTX,    Low Dose Astaxanthin Treatments Trigger the Hormesis of Human Astroglioma Cells by Up-Regulating the Cyclin-Dependent Kinase and Down-Regulated the Tumor Suppressor Protein P53
- in-vitro, GBM, U251
Dose⇅, ROS∅, SOD↑, CDK1↑, P53↓, TumCP⇅, ROS↑,
4816- ASTX,    Potent carotenoid astaxanthin expands the anti-cancer activity of cisplatin in human prostate cancer cells
- in-vitro, Pca, NA
*antiOx↑, *Inflam↓, ChemoSen↑, E-cadherin↑, N-cadherin↓, VEGF↓, cMyc↓, PSA↓, cl‑Casp3↑, PARP1↑,
4815- ASTX,    The Promising Effects of Astaxanthin on Lung Diseases
- Review, Var, NA
Dose↑, *BioAv↝, *BioAv↝, *antiOx↑, *NRF2↑, *ERK↓,
4814- ASTX,    Chemopreventive and therapeutic efficacy of astaxanthin against cancer: A comprehensive review
- Review, Var, NA
Apoptosis↑, EMT↓, AntiCan↑, *cardioP↑, *neuroP↑, TumCG↓, *antiOx↑, *Bacteria↓, *Imm↑, *hepatoP↑, *AntiDiabetic↑, ROS↓, *chemoPv↑,
4813- ASTX,    Astaxanthin Prevents Oxidative Damage and Cell Apoptosis Under Oxidative Stress Involving the Restoration of Mitochondrial Function
- in-vitro, AD, NA
*antiOx↑, *Apoptosis↓, *AntiTum↑, *ROS↓, *MMP↑, *neuroP↑,
4812- ASTX,    Astaxanthin suppresses the metastasis of colon cancer by inhibiting the MYC-mediated downregulation of microRNA-29a-3p and microRNA-200a
- in-vitro, CRC, HCT116
miR-29b↑, miR-200b↑, MMP2↓, Zeb1↓, EMT↓, Apoptosis↑, ERK↓, MAPK↓, PI3K↓, Akt↓, MMPs↓, TumMeta↓,
4811- ASTX,    Astaxanthin reduces MMP expressions, suppresses cancer cell migrations, and triggers apoptotic caspases of in vitro and in vivo models in melanoma
- vitro+vivo, Melanoma, A375 - vitro+vivo, Melanoma, A2058
ROS↓, MMPs↓, TumCMig↓, TumMeta↓, TumCCA↑, antiOx↑, MMP1↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓,
4810- ASTX,    Effects of Astaxanthin on the Proliferation and Migration of Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro
- in-vitro, BC, MDA-MB-231 - in-vitro, Nor, MCF10
TumCP↓, TumCMig↓, selectivity↑, *BDNF↑, *ROS↓, *TNF-α↓, *IL6↓, *IFN-γ↓, *NF-kB↓, BAX⇅, Bcl-2↓, *antiOx↑, radioP↑, ChemoSen↑,
4809- ASTX,    Astaxanthin Inhibits Proliferation of Human Gastric Cancer Cell Lines by Interrupting Cell Cycle Progression
- in-vitro, GC, AGS - in-vitro, GC, MKN45
tumCV↓, TumCP↓, TumCCA↑, p‑ERK↓, p27↑, cycD1/CCND1↓, CDK4↓,
4808- ASTX,    Anti-Tumor Effects of Astaxanthin by Inhibition of the Expression of STAT3 in Prostate Cancer
- in-vitro, Pca, DU145 - in-vivo, NA, NA
TumCP↓, STAT3↓, Apoptosis↑, TumCMig↓, TumCI↓,
4807- ASTX,    An overview of the anticancer activity of astaxanthin and the associated cellular and molecular mechanisms
- Review, Var, NA
*antiOx↑, *neuroP↑, AntiCan↑, TumCG↓, TumCD↑, TumCMig↓, ChemoSen↑, chemoP↑, *BioAv↓, TumCP↓, TumCCA↑, Apoptosis↑, BioAv↑,
4806- ASTX,    Astaxanthin's Impact on Colorectal Cancer: Examining Apoptosis, Antioxidant Enzymes, and Gene Expression
- in-vitro, CRC, HCT116
BAX↑, Casp3↑, Apoptosis↑, Bcl-2↓, MDA↓, ROS↓, SOD↑, Catalase↑, GPx↑, antiOx↑, TumCG↓, TumCP↓,
4805- ASTX,    Astaxanthin promotes apoptosis by suppressing growth signaling pathways in HT-29 colorectal cancer cells
- in-vitro, Colon, HT29
TumCP↓, Casp3↑, EGFR↓, HER2/EBBR2↓, ERK↓, Apoptosis↑,

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 33

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 3,   Catalase↑, 1,   Ferroptosis↑, 1,   GPx↑, 1,   GPx4↓, 1,   lipid-P↓, 1,   MDA↓, 2,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS↓, 4,   ROS↑, 1,   ROS⇅, 1,   ROS∅, 1,   SOD↑, 3,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

CDC2↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

cMyc↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 2,   Akt↑, 1,   Apoptosis↓, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 12,   BAX↑, 3,   BAX⇅, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 5,   Casp3↑, 3,   cl‑Casp3↑, 1,   Ferroptosis↑, 1,   MAPK↓, 1,   p27↑, 1,   TumCD↑, 3,  

Kinase & Signal Transduction ⓘ

HER2/EBBR2↓, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

tumCV↓, 3,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 1,   P53↓, 1,   P53↑, 1,   PARP1↑, 1,   PCNA↓, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

CDK1↑, 1,   CDK4↓, 1,   CycB/CCNB1↓, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 2,   P21↑, 2,   TumCCA↑, 6,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

CSCs↓, 1,   EMT↓, 2,   ERK↓, 2,   p‑ERK↓, 1,   GSK‐3β↑, 1,   Nanog↓, 1,   OCT4↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 2,   PI3K↑, 1,   STAT3↓, 1,   TumCG↓, 3,   TumCG↑, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

E-cadherin↑, 1,   Ki-67↑, 1,   miR-200b↑, 1,   miR-29b↑, 2,   MMP1↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 2,   MMP9↓, 1,   MMPs↓, 2,   N-cadherin↓, 1,   TumCI↓, 2,   TumCMig↓, 4,   TumCP↓, 9,   TumCP↑, 1,   TumCP⇅, 1,   TumMeta↓, 2,   Zeb1↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

EGFR↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

Inflam↓, 2,   NF-kB↓, 1,   PSA↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↑, 3,   ChemoSen↑, 4,   ChemoSen⇅, 1,   Dose↓, 1,   Dose↑, 1,   Dose⇅, 1,   Dose↝, 2,   eff↑, 4,   RadioS↑, 2,   selectivity↑, 3,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

EGFR↓, 1,   GutMicro↑, 1,   HER2/EBBR2↓, 1,   Ki-67↑, 1,   PSA↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 6,   AntiTum↑, 3,   chemoP↑, 3,   chemoPv↑, 1,   Pain↓, 1,   radioP↑, 1,   Risk↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 96

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 13,   HO-1↑, 1,   lipid-P↓, 1,   MDA↓, 2,   NRF2↑, 2,   ROS↓, 5,   SOD↑, 4,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

MMP↑, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Apoptosis↓, 1,   iNOS↓, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↓, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

ERK↓, 1,   GSK‐3β↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

NO↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

BBB↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

IFN-γ↓, 2,   IL6↓, 2,   IL8↓, 1,   Imm↑, 1,   Inflam↓, 5,   Inflam↑, 1,   NF-kB↓, 3,   PGE2↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 2,  

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

AChE↓, 1,   BDNF↑, 1,   ChAT↑, 1,   MAOA↓, 1,  

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

Aβ↓, 1,   BACE↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 4,   BioAv↑, 5,   BioAv↝, 2,   Dose↝, 1,   eff↑, 1,   Half-Life↝, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

GutMicro↑, 1,   IL6↓, 2,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiDiabetic↓, 1,   AntiDiabetic↑, 2,   AntiTum↑, 2,   cardioP↑, 3,   chemoPv↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 1,   memory↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 5,   radioP↑, 2,   toxicity∅, 1,  

Infection & Microbiome ⓘ

Bacteria↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 49

Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:382  Target#:%  State#:%  Dir#:%
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