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Paracoccus carotinifaciens is a gram-negative bacterium that produces a pink-red pigments that is called astaxanthin. One of the uses of this pigment is in the food industry, it is the reason for the pink and red color of shrimp and salmonid meat.
This is a micrograph of the Paracoccus carotinifaciens bacterium that produces the pigment astaxanthin. The bacterium is rod-shaped and motile by peritrichous flagella. The length of the bacterium is 0.2 micrographs.
In this article under "Biochemistry of astaxanthin" is reveals why this pigment is a better antioxidant compared to other pigments and this is due to the pigment being able to link with the cell membrane from inside to outside.
One of the special characteristics of astaxanthin is that it is has possible antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antineoplastic properties, it is also a natural and synthetic xanthophyll. Astaxanthin may serve as an antioxidant and lessen oxidative stress after ingestion, decreasing protein and lipid oxidation as well as DNA damage.
Astaxanthin offers a wide range of benefits, including the ability to prevent diabetes, boost immunity, and preserve the retina. As a dietary supplement, astaxanthin can be readily absorbed and is mainly found in the human plasma lipoproteins. As a type of pigment that humans cannot produce, they can only ingest it through diet or supplements. Free radicals and astaxanthin can collaborate to lessen the harm they do to the body.
Interesting findings about some carotenoids, such as astaxanthin, have been found in studies on compounds with anti-neuroinflammatory effects and with protective qualities against oxidative stress in neuronal cell models. In both in vitro and in vivo models for neurodegenerative diseases, astaxanthin has been shown to lessen cognitive impairments.
