Production of O/W Emulsions Containing Astaxanthin by Microfluidic Devices

Astaxanthin is a fat soluble ketocarotenoid whose biological functions are formed by its high antioxidant activity, which makes its use promising in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and feed industries. However, the unstable structure of astaxanthin significantly limits its use. We study the possibility of using a microfluidic system to obtain stable oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions, the oil phase of which contains the Haematococcus pluvialis IPPASH-629 microalgae pigments, the main component of which is astaxanthin in the free or esterified form. It is shown that the pigment composition of the oil phase affects both the size distribution of the emulsion droplets and stability. The emulsion containing the total H. pluvialis microalgae carotenoids, mainly astaxanthin monoesters, is characterized by a high degree of encapsulation, the highest degree of polydispersity, and the fact that the astaxanthin content after 56 days of storage at room temperature remains almost unchanged.