Astaxanthin을 산란계에 경구 투여하여 얻은 AEY에는 총 2.88 mg%의 carotenoid가 함유되어 있었다. Carotenoid 성분을 HPLC로 분석한 결과, AEY에는 존재하지 않는 $alpha$- cryptoxanthin, canthaxanthin, cynthiaxanthin, triol 등이 AEY 에서 확인되었다. CEY에서는 존재하지 않기 때문에 이들은 astaxanthin의 대사생성물로 예상할 수 있다 AEY는 LPS로 유발한 mouse의 catabolic response overcome의 효과 시험에서 control구에 비해 유의성 있는 체중 감소 억제 효과를 보였다. 또한 AEY는 LPS 처리에 의한 면역기관에 미치는 영 향에서는 췌장과 간의 체중에 대한 상대적 비율을 증가시켰다. 따라서 AEY 처리가 면역 작용을 하는 세포의 활성에 관여하는 것으로 생각되고 이것은 AEY 처리구에서 관찰되는 $alpha$-cryptoxanthin, canthaxanthin, cynthiaxanthin, triol 등에 의한 것으로 추측된다.
Effect of the egg yolks from laying hens intubated, p.o., astaxanthin (designated AEY) on the catabolic response overcome of mice was examined. Female ICR mice (6~7 weeks of age) were adapted in a temperature- and humidity-controlled house for one week and randomly divided into 5 groups (6 mice/cage/treatment). Mice were intubated p.o., AEY (5, 10 and 15 mg), control egg yolk (CEY, 10 mg), or fish oil (5 mg) dissolved in 0.2 mL phosphate buffered saline (PBS) every two days for 14 days. At day 15, the 0.1 mL of lipopolysaccharide solution (LPS, 30$mu extrm{g}$/0.1 mL 10 mM HEPES) was injected through tail vein, and then, the body weight of mouse and the amount of feed intake were measured over a period of 72 hours. Control group mice were received only PBS and LPS. AEY treatment suppressed the loss of mice body weight in a dose-response manner. Twenty four hours post LPS injection, the reduced body weight per mouse of AEY 5, AEY 10, and AEY 15 mg treatment groups was 3.70, 3.54, and 3.25 g, respectively. Body weight suppression effect of AEY treatment was greater than that of CEY, but less than fish oil. AEY treatment did not alter thymus weight, but increased the weight of spleen or liver. These results indicate that AEY suppressed the loss of body weight by LPS via any function of the spleen and/or liver.
