Cantaxanthin is a carotenoid used for canaries, chickens, and animal feed as an additive to improve the color and appearance of meat. In domestic birds and breeding birds, it is used to enhance the shades of feathers.
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What is Cantaxanthin and What is it Used For
It is a natural dye with the name E161g, which belongs to the group of xanthophylls. It is also a plant pigment that plants use to protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation.
Cantaxanthin is used to color flowers and leaves of plants, improve the color of meat and bird plumage, while humans use it as a food additive for farm animals and pets, something similar although without the side effects and contraindications of zeaxanthin.
While it can be obtained from plants, fruits, and vegetables, synthetic cantaxanthin is produced in the laboratory in large quantities, making its price much lower and simpler to manufacture.
Canaries
Known as DSM cantaxanthin for canaries from the Roche brand, it is a product used for bird breeding. It can be used in both yellow and red canaries.
This carotenoid is found in small crustaceans, fish, bacteria, fungi, and plants, acting as a pigment or natural dye to improve the purity of feather color. One of the sources from which it is obtained is the cantharellus cibarius fungus, which is edible and known as chanterelle.
This fungus is very rich in cantaxanthin, carophil, and carotenoids, which is why it is commonly used as a raw material for its extraction and subsequent sale in pet shops and pet stores.
By giving cantaxanthin along with canary seed, other types of canary food, and with breeding paste, the specimens that feed on this mixture increase their coloration, becoming redder and more intense in color.
How to Give Cantaxanthin to Canaries
- Mix 8 to 10 g per every 1 kg of breeding paste.
- Do not exceed the dose of cantaxanthin as it could turn the birds violet. At lower doses, the coloration will be less or insufficient.
Poultry (chickens, hens)
As a food additive, it has uses to improve the appearance of poultry meat destined for human consumption.
For this purpose, it is necessary to follow the regulations of the European Union, published on September 2, 2015, in the Implementation Regulation (EU) 2015/1486, which establishes the authorization of cantaxanthin as an additive for feeds used as food for certain types of poultry, as well as for ornamental fish.
By giving cantaxanthin to chickens and hens, the color of the meat changes, becoming much more visually appealing. However, this additive does not add nutritional value to humans, nor to the animals that receive the feed mixed with E161g.
For Tanning
Known as tanning tablets, cantaxanthin Bronzearte is not usually recommended because its consumption can lead to pigment accumulation in the lens of the eye, causing side effects and possibly vision damage.
It is currently not approved for this use, meaning that although there are different publications that give their opinions on the properties and benefits of cantaxanthin for tanning, there is actually no scientific basis to market them safely.
The idea of using xanthophylls is because they act similarly to beta-carotenes, yielding results very similar to Beta-Carotene from carrots, which has been used for many years as a tanning lotion for quick tanning.
Unfortunately, despite filtering UV rays and preventing damage from sun exposure, its use as a tanning agent is not authorized.
If you are looking for a tanning accelerator, you can look for products related to dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is a carbohydrate widely used in cosmetics since it has been approved by the FDA.
Is It Natural?
There are two types of cantaxanthin:
- Natural.
- Synthetic.
Natural cantaxanthin is obtained from fungi and small crustaceans, requiring crushing the exoskeleton or scraping the surface of vegetables.
Synthetic cantaxanthin is obtained by biosynthesis from bacterial and yeast cultures, possessing much more potent pigmenting properties than the natural form.
Both types can be considered as pure cantaxanthin. Then, depending on commercial interests and uses, it can be diluted to different concentrations. In some cases, its manufacture is carried out by spreading granular powder over a corn starch matrix, subsequently coating it with pork gelatin to ensure its stability since it is sensitive to heat, light, moisture, and air which can spoil it.
Adverse Effects
- Skin color change.
- Crystalline retinopathy.
Possible damage to the retina and lens of the eye due to pigment accumulation from continuous consumption. The use of cantaxanthin in tanning pills is not recommended.
Consuming it in large doses can lead to accumulation in the retina, also resulting in possible liver damage.
References
- Implementation Regulation (EU) 2015/1486 of the Commission, of September 2, 2015.
- «Opinion on the use of canthaxanthin in feedingstuffs for salmon«; 2006.
- «Gobantes et al. 1997. Astaxanthin and canthaxanthin kinetics after ingestion of individual doses in immature rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mikiss. Agr. food Chem. 45,454-458″.
- Department of Physics, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin (Poland).
