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Spirulina
Spirulina
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Blue-green algae
62% amino acid content
natural source of vitamin B12
whole spectrum of natural mixed carotene
and xanthophyll phytopigments
• gamma-linolenic fatty acid
• cell wall made of complex sugars and protein
• contains phycobilisomes as light-harvesting
protein–pigment complexes : phycocyanin
and allophycocyanin
Spirulina
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anticancer
antibacterial
antiparasitic
antiviral properties
Al-Batshan et al., 2001
Dasgupta et al., 2001
Zhang et al., 2001
Rodriguez-Hernandez et al., 2001
medical conditions
• allergies
• ulcers
• anemia
• heavy-metal poisoning
• radiation poisoning
Pinero Estrada et al., 2001
Hirahashi et al., 2002
Hayashi et al., 1993
Ayehunie et al., 1998
Spirulina : antioxidant
In vitro studies :
• Polysaccharides of Spirulina enhance cell nucleus
enzyme activity and DNA repair synthesis.
• Spirulina is a powerful tonic for the immune system.
Q.S. Pang, B.J. Guo, J.H. Ruan, Enhancement of endonuclease activity and repair DNA synthesis by
polysaccharide of Spirulina platensis, I Chuan Hsuch Pao 15 (1998) 374–381.
M.A. Qureshi, M.T. Kidd, R.A. Ali, Spirulina platensis extract enhances chicken macrophage functions
after in vitro exposure, J. Nutritional Immunol. 3 (1995) 35–45.
M.A. Qureshi, J.D. Garlich, M.T. Kidd, Dietary Spirulina platensis enhances humoral and cell-mediated
immune functions in chickens, Immunopharmacol. Immunotoxicol. 18 (1996) 465–476.
M.A. Qureshi, R.A. Ali, Spirulina platensis exposure enhances macrophage phagocytic function in cats,
Immunopharmacol.Immunotoxicol. 18 (1996) 457–463.
Spirulina : antiviral activity
Clinical
studies
:
In vitro evidence
: Seaweeds
and Spirulina extracts
in vitro inhibit a variety of enveloped viruses
• mumps virus
• HSV-1 and 2
No fair trial of the• influenza
effectiveness
of
A virus
• cytomegalovirus
whole
• HIV
• measles
virusalgal supplementation.
Hayashi K, Hayashi T, Kojima I. A natural sulfated polysaccharide, calcium spirulan, isolated from Spirulina
platensis: in vitro and ex vivo evaluation of anti-herpes simplex virus and anti-human immunodeficiency virus
activities. AIDS Res Hum Retrov 1996;12(15):1463–71.
Witvrouw M, De Clercq E. Sulfated polysaccharides extracted from sea algae as potential antiviral drugs.
Gen Pharmacol 1997;29(4):497–511.
Schaeffer DJ, Krylov VS. Anti-HIV activity of extracts and compounds from algae and cyanobacteria.
Ecotoxicol Environ Safe 2000;45(3):208–27, 10.1006/cesa.1999.1862.
Spirulina
From a nutritional point of view, although
inferior to the best protein of animal
origin, Spirulina protein ranks as one of
the best protein sources of plant origin.
Spirulina : toxicity
A case report of suspected spirulinainduced hepatoxicity in Japan.
AJG – Vol. 97, No. 12, 2002