Astaxanthin slows down skeletal muscle atrophy in H22 tumor-bearing mice during sorafenib treatment by modulating the gut microbiota

, altered the levels of metabolites in mouse serum, and primarily affected the amino acid metabolism of mice. Astaxanthin ameliorated skeletal muscle atrophy by promoting the activation of AKT/FOXO3a, which inhibited the expression of ubiquitination-degrading Fbx32 and MuRF1 and promoted myogenesis in skeletal muscle. Our study confirms that the intestinal flora is an important target for astaxanthin to combat skeletal muscle atrophy. Our research supports the use of astaxanthin as a nutritional supplement and intestinal microecological regulator for cancer patients.