[Latin Name] Haematococcus Pluvialis

[Plant Source] from China

[Specifications]1% 2% 3% 5%

[Appearance] Dark red Powder

[Particle size] 80 Mesh

[Loss on drying] ≤5.0%

[Heavy Metal] ≤10PPM

[Storage] Store in cool & dry area, keep away from the direct light and heat.

[Shelf life] 24 Months

[Package] Packed in paper-drums and two plastic-bags inside.

[Net weight] 25kgs/drum

Brief Introduction

Astaxanthin is a natural nutritional component, it can be found as a food supplement. The supplement is intended for human, animal, and aquaculture consumption.

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid. It belongs to a larger class of phytochemicals known as terpenes, which are built from five carbon precursors; isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate . Astaxanthin is classified as a xanthophyll (originally derived from a word meaning “yellow leaves” since yellow plant leaf pigments were the first recognized of the xanthophyll family of carotenoids), but currently employed to describe carotenoid compounds that have oxygen-containing moities, hydroxyl or ketone , such as zeaxanthin and canthaxanthin. Indeed, astaxanthin is a metabolite of zeaxanthin and/or canthaxanthin, containing both hydroxyl and ketone functional groups. Like many carotenoids, astaxanthin is a colorful, lipid-soluble pigment. This colour is due to the extended chain of conjugated (alternating double and single) double bonds at the centre of the compound. This chain of conjugated double bonds is also responsible for the antioxidant function of astaxanthin (as well as other carotenoids) as it results in a region of decentralized electrons that can be donated to reduce a reactive oxidizing molecule.

Function:

1.Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant and may protect against oxidative damage to body tissues.

2.Astaxanthin can improve the immune response by increasing the number of antibody producing cells.

3.Astaxanthin is a potential candidate to treat neurodegenerative disease such as Alzhimer and Parkinson diease.

4.Astaxanthin dan reduce UVA-light damage to skin such as sunburn, inflammation, ageing and skin cancer.

Application

1.When applied in pharmaceutical field, astaxanthin powder has the good function of antineoplastic;

2.When applied in health food field, astaxanthin powder is used as food additives for pigment and health care;

3.When applied in cosmetic field, astaxanthin powder has the good function of antioxidant and anti-aging;

4.When applied in animal feeds field, astaxanthin powder is used as animal feed additive to impart coloration, including farm-raised salmon and egg yolks.

via YouTube Capture

Hi guys, today I prepared a video about a very simple extraction that is to say starch from cooking potatoes and its relative test with commercial tincture of iodine. Before starting just two words about starch. it is a natural polymer present in rice, ceral, potatoes and it is a source of energy for living creatures.
It is composed of two different polymers: amylose 20% and amilopecten 80 %. Both of them are chains composed of unities of alpha glucose. Here we can see a simplified picture of starch molecule which is much more complex.
Now let’s get started. The procedure is so simple that also a child could do that without problems. Simply take a one hundred grams potato and peel it. Now simple grate it. Once it’s done put it to a beaker with two hundred millimitres of hot water. Now mix for about one-two minutes. Then filtrate with a cook filter to another container. With the lasting part that is to say the grated potato you can repeat the operation several times adding water and mixing, and filtrating again but this is optional. After 5-10 minutes starch, insoluble into water will precipitate out. Here we can see the white precipitate, pure starch. Simply moving the liquid phase to another beaker you will isolate the product. Let it dry at room temperature. Here we can see starch and it appears white, a little bit creamy but after essiccation it will be cristalline.
Now, to test it is really starch and not magic powder, we will use some tincture of iodine ( a mix of ethanol, water, potassium iodide and elemental iodine). To test it put some starch into a test tube with some water and shake. After add the tincture of iodine that you can diluite with water or not. However, the solution will become dark blue coloured. What happens is that iodine ions (I3- ) combine to amilose and they make the compound take up this colour.
My greetings, see you on the next experiment.