AbstractBACKGROUNDAstaxanthin ester (Asta‐E) is used as functional nutraceuticals in many food products. Unfortunately, Asta‐E utilization is currently limited owing to its chemical instability and low bioavailability. The purpose of this study is to investigate the promotion effect of oil matrixes on the stability, antioxidant activity, bioaccessibility and bioavailability of Asta‐E.RESULTSThe results showed that the stability of Asta‐E in six oil matrixes was improved. Based on the 2, 2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity experiment, the antioxidant activity of Asta‐E was positively correlated with the degree of unsaturation of the oil matrixes, but not with the side chain length. The in vitro gastrointestinal tract (GIT) simulation model and in vivo experiment using mice were also employed to investigate the digestion and absorption characteristics of Asta‐E in various oil matrixes. The results demonstrated that the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of Asta‐E increased with the increase of fatty acid chain length of oil matrixes (triglyceride oleate > triglyceride caprylate > triglyceride butyrate), as well as with the decrease of unsaturation degree (olive oil > corn oil > fish oil).CONCLUSIONMonounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and long‐chain triglyceride (LCT) in an oil matrix were the factors that could efficiently improve the bioavailability of Asta‐E. Moreover, the size of the mixed micelles of Asta‐E during digestion was the main factor influencing the bioaccessibility of Asta‐E. This study provides references for the design of suitable oil matrixes for Asta‐E. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry