Tuna is a popular deep-sea pelagic fish that is both flavorful and nutritious and contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, selenium, oligopeptides, and other beneficial nutrients. As an important part of the dietary structure of Chinese residents, aquatic products play a key role in ensuring a supply of high-quality nutrients. In recent years, with the development of science and technology, researchers have discovered a variety of nutritional benefits in marine foods, including tuna. Owing to its rich nutrient content and health benefits, the growing popularity of tuna has not only led to an increase in the aquaculture industry but also stimulated the tuna-related food processing industry, including traditional canned tuna and emerging functional foods. This review focuses on the nutritional composition of tuna. Researchers have elucidated its various health-promoting functions, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antiobesity, immune-boosting, and antiaging properties. This review also discusses the processing directions for tuna meat and its byproducts, offering insights into the sustainable development of the tuna industry.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) can be caused by various factors, such as renal ischemia and hypoxia, drug toxicity, and malnutrition, leading to a rapid decline in renal function, abnormal nitrogen metabolism, or reduced urine output. Previous studies have reported that astaxanthin (AST) has a protective effect on the kidneys, and the main form of acylated AST (AST-DHAs) widely found in seafood is docosahexaenoic acid-acylated monoester (AST-DHA) and diester (AST-2DHA). In this study, we successfully prepared AST-DHAs through enzymatic/chemical methods and constructed a mouse model of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) to explore the impact of AST-DHAs on AKI. The experimental results are interesting: compared with the model group, AST-DHA treatment showed strong efficacy. It not only significantly enhanced the renal function of mice and significantly reduced urea nitrogen and creatinine levels but also significantly reduced pathological damage and oxidative stress. Moreover, AST-DHA treatment significantly upregulated the expression of the ferroptosis core protein, glutathione peroxidase 4, and the cystine/glutamate transporter. Further metabolomic analysis revealed that AST-DHAs can regulate the related changes in mice caused by AKI and effectively improve the AKI status of mice by inhibiting ferroptosis. These results strongly indicate that AST-DHAs are likely potential therapeutic adjuvants for alleviating AKI, providing a new direction and hope for the treatment of acute kidney injury.