BACKGROUND Spirulina is a commercial alga well known to contain various antioxidants, especially phycocyanin. Apart from being sold as a nutraceutical, Spirulina is incorporated as a functional ingredient in food products and beverages. Most of the previous reports on antioxidant activity of Spirulina were based on chemical rather than cell-based assays. The primary objective of this study was ...

Present research was to evaluate and compare the antiradical and antioxidant activities of extracts from Spirulina platensis. In the present study, three extracts (Water, absolute methanol and 50% methanol in water) were analyzed for the total phenolic compounds, phycobiliprotein content: Antiradical and antioxidant activities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-az...

RECONSTITUTION OF CYANOBACTERIAL PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION BY A LATENT Cat2-ATPase Linda Owers-Narhi, Steven J. Robinson*, Cathy Selvius DeRoo, and C.F. Yocum* Division of Biological Sciences The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Mi. 48109 Received August 16,1979 Summary: Photosynthetic membranes derived from sonic extracts of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis contain a latent Ca+2-ATPase which...

Algae can tolerate a broad range of growing conditions but extreme conditions may lead to the generation of highly dangerous reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may cause the deterioration of cell metabolism and damage cellular components. The antioxidants produced by algae alleviate the harmful effects of ROS. While the enhancement of antioxidant production in blue green algae under stress ha...

Effects of C-phycocyanin (C-PC), the active component of Spirulina platensis water extract on the expressions of N-methyl D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B (NR2B), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and cyclooxygenase type 2 (COX-2) genes in the cochlea and inferior colliculus (IC) of mice were evaluated after tinnitus was induced by intraperitoneal injection of salicylate. ...

BACKGROUND Spirulina platensis, a cynobacterium used frequently as a dietary supplement had been found to exhibit many immune-stimulating and antiviral activities. It had been found to activate macrophages, NK cells, T cells, B cells, and to stimulate the production of Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and other cytokines. Natural substances isolated from Spirulina platensis had been found to be potent ...

AIM The growth promoting effect of the blue-green filamentous alga Spirulina platensis (SP) was observed on meat type Japanese quail with antibiotic growth promoter alternative and immune enhancing power. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was conducted on 180 Japanese quail chicks for 4 weeks to find out the effect of diet type (vegetarian protein diet [VPD] and fish meal protein diet [FMPD])-...

Increasing attention has been paid to Spirulina for its potential clinical uses. The present study investigated the protection by dietary Spirulina platensis against d-galactosamine (d-GalN)- and acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatitis in ICR mice. Mice in each group (n 6) were fed with a standard diet (American Institute of Nutrition (AIN)-93G), a positive control diet containing 0.5 % butylate...

The effects of sodium bicarbonate concentration, population density, and temperature on the maintenance of an outdoor monoculture of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis were studied. A clear response by Spirulina to the concentration of bicarbonate was evident, with 0.2M bicarbonate representing the lowest concentration in which a monoculture could be maintained. When the temperatures fell d...