Spirulina

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Spirulina
Spirulina

Spirulina

Systematics
Domain : Bacteria (bacteria)
Department : Cyanobacteria ("Cyanobacteria")
Class : Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria)
Order : Oscillatoriales
Family : incertae sedis
Genre : Spirulina
Scientific name
Spirulina
Turpin ex Gomont 1892
Spirulina subsalsa

Spirulina (more correctly Arthrospira ) is a genus of cyanobacteria (previously known as "blue-green algae"). Adistinction is made betweenup to 35 species ( e.g. Spirulina platensis , Spirulina fusiformis , Spirulina maxima ), but it is unclear whether these 35 species may not all belong to the same species, since Spirulina depends on the nutrient content and pH value of the water changes. Spirulina is alsocommercially availableas a dietary supplement in the “Microalgae” category.

properties

The bacterium forms multicellular, helical microfilaments . The cylindrical cells have a diameter of approximately 1 to 5 μm and a length (height) of approximately 1 to 3 μm. They are arranged one behind the other in long, right- or left-handed helical filaments with a length of 0.5 mm or more and a helix diameter of 5 to 40 μm. The growth in length of the filaments is associated with cell division ; their reproduction occurs through the disintegration of the filaments.

Spirulina is oxygen photosynthetic and only contains chlorophyll a , which is also found in plants. Since spirulina belongs to the prokaryotes , the chlorophyll is not localized in organized cell structures, the chloroplasts , as is the case with eukaryotic plants , but is located in membranes that are distributed over almost the entire cell. Spirulina gets a green-bluish hue through other pigments that superimpose the chlorophyll green.

The spirulina filaments form blankets like other filamentous cyanobacteria. As a result of the alkalization through consumption of carbon dioxide , calcium carbonate can be deposited in it. It is assumed that so-called stromatolites are formed in this way and that they were also formed in earlier geological times. The oldest known stromatolites occur in rock layers that formed over three billion years ago in the Precambrian . This suggests that oxygen-photosynthetic, carbon dioxide-assimilating microorganisms, possibly cyanobacteria, contributed to enriching the carbon dioxide- rich primordial atmosphere with oxygen (O 2 ), reducing its carbon dioxide content and thus giving it its current composition. Said event is known as the Great Oxygen Disaster .

Natural occurrence

Spirulina occurs in strongly alkaline salt lakes ( pH value between 9 and 11), but also in fresh water, it inhabits shallow, subtropical to tropical waters with a high salt content, especially in Central America, Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia. It has been used as food by the people living in these waters since ancient times, for example by the Kanembu on Lake Chad in the form of Dihe and on Lake Texcoco in Mexico (as Tecuitatl by the Aztecs ). The soda concentration snail in the valley of Mexico still reminds us of the last .

cultivation

Spirulina biomass is produced in open and closed aquacultures at a water temperature of up to 37 degrees Celsius. The optimal growth of Spirulina depends largely on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) made available . Therefore, in addition to the carbon dioxide that enters the culture from the air, additional CO 2 from various sources is added to the aquaculture . Spirulina not only grows faster, it also produces significantly more oxygen. For harvesting, the culture is pumped through a filter or a continuous centrifuge and the biomass obtained in this way is then dried with hot air or in sunlight. The dried biomass is usually pressed into tablets, enclosed in capsules or pulverized for distribution.

ingredients

The dry preparations contain on average:

  • 59.78% proteins
  • 20.2% carbohydrates
  • 4.06% fats
  • 5.47% minerals

All essential amino acids are contained in proteins . It also contains β-carotene - a precursor to vitamin A -, B vitamins and vitamin E , as well as calcium , iron and magnesium in high concentrations .

Vitamin B 12

Based on the analytically determined high total value, spirulina contains about 80% an ineffective form of the vitamin (" pseudovitamin B12 ", " vitamin B12 analogue "), about 20% is the vitamin form that can be used by humans . This ratio of usable vitamins and so-called analogues can be found in many foods, including animal foods, so it is not unique to spirulina. According to purely theoretical considerations, it is possible that an excess of analogues can block the uptake and metabolism of the physiological vitamin B 12 ; This theory has not been proven either by experiments or by patient studies. Studies in 1991 and 1999 with children with a vitamin B 12 deficit showed that although the blood level of measurable cyanocobalamins increased after administration of spirulina , the symptoms of the disease did not disappear.

A study from 2010 shows methylcobalamin concentrations of 35.7–38.5 μg / 100 g in spirulina with HPLC and chemiluminescence assay methods - without the use of cyanides in the extraction .

Microcystin

A misleading publication in the German press (Stiftung Warentest) warned against contamination with carcinogenic microcystins . Commercially available products made from the “green span algae” (AFA for Aphanizomenon flos-aquae , a cyanobacterium) contain hazardous substances. Such contamination of Spirulina cultures with aphanizomenon does not usually occur due to the different growth conditions of the two organisms. The generalization that "algae preparations" are "dangerous" is misleading. For commercial preparations, spirulina is not harvested from open lakes, but comes from closed or covered cultivation facilities, and continues to be produced in open, ecologically controlled aquacultures, with no overall risk of contamination. Manufacturers must and can prove this.

use

Spirulina tablets

Every year around 3,000 tons of commercially grown Spirulina platensis are sold as a dietary supplement . In Germany, like the freshwater alga Chlorella, spirulina is available in the form of powder or tablets as a dietary supplement and is processed as a nutrient-rich ingredient in (organic) foods (pasta, fruit bars, powdered drinks, etc.). Spirulina is also found in many fish foods and some cat foods . Other uses are found in biotechnology and biotechnology, where spirulina is used, among other things, as a biocatalyst in fermentation processes and for energy generation.

Nutritional supplement

In spirulina products as a dietary supplement, the protein content and vitamin B 12 content are advertised. However, the dose that is absorbed through dietary supplements when the highest recommended dose is taken is so low that the supplementary protein intake is usually hardly noticeable. Chlorophyll , which is sometimes labeled separately, can be found in every food with green parts of plants. The claim of vitamin B 12 is considered to be misleading advertising if it is advertised with disease-relieving effects.

The European Food Safety Authority came after analysis of studies from manufacturers to the conclusion submitted that spirulina capsules no effect on the glucose concentration in the blood of diabetics have. According to the Health Claims Regulation , food supplements may no longer be advertised in this regard.

Importance as food

In 1974, spirulina was named "Best Food of the Future" by the WHO . In 2008 the FAO reminded of the importance of spirulina and called on all nations to develop and intensify its cultivation. The United Nations founded the organization IIMSAM, which promotes the cultivation of spirulina worldwide to fight hunger and malnutrition.

Students at the Technical University of Israel in Haifa have developed a new type of falafel , the Algalafel made from spirulina. In 2018 they won first prize in the competition of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology .

health

In alternative medicine , spirulina preparations are said to have possible effects against cancer, viruses and allergies .

The use of spirulina preparations may lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. In the studies carried out, however, only minor effects emerged, the respective number of subjects in the studies was too low or the study design was poor, so that there are few results that can be used up to now.

The immunomodulating effect of Spirulina and others is also documented . a. as mast cell inhibitor for allergies - Spirulina inhibits the release of histamine from mast cells . Kyoko Ishii et al. demonstrated the positive influence of spirulina on immunoglobulin A secretion and thus the improvement of immune competence and defense function in saliva. A more recent double-blind placebo - controlled study in Turkey shows a significant efficiency of spirulina in the treatment of patients with allergic rhinitis. If tolerated well, the symptoms including the amount of secretion, sneezing, swollen mucous membranes and itching were significantly improved. In another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the subjects took 1 g or 2 g spirulina daily for 12 weeks. It was found that the level of interleukin-4 , which plays an aggravating role in immunoglobulin E -mediated allergies, could be reduced by about 32%. In addition, in a 2011 study, an antiviral effect of spirulina against the Epstein-Barr virus was demonstrated. A meta-analysis assumed a positive influence on various parameters, but criticized the studies available up to 2008 as of poor methodological quality and insufficient for an assessment.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ MF Raposo, RM de Morais, AM Bernardo de Morais: Bioactivity and applications of sulphated polysaccharides from marine microalgae. In: Marine Drugs . Volume 11, Number 1, January 2013, pp. 233-252, ISSN  1660-3397 . doi : 10.3390 / md11010233 . PMID 23344113 . PMC 3564169 (free full text).
  2. ^ O. Ciferri: Spirulina, the edible microorganism. In: Microbiological reviews. Volume 47, Number 4, December 1983, pp. 551-578. PMID 6420655 . PMC 283708 (free full text).
  3. ↑ Spirulina in the Lexicon of Biology, accessed on January 31, 2017.
  4. ↑ Spirulina-Algen.net
  5. ↑ a b Nutritional values ​​for dried spirulina
  6. ↑ F. Watanabe, H. Katsura, S. Takenaka, T. Fujita, K. Abe, Y. Tamura, T. Nakatsuka, Y. Nakano: Pseudovitamin B 12 is the predominant cobamide of an algal health food, spirulina tablets. In: J Agric Food Chem , Vol. 47, No. 11, 1999, pp. 4736-4741.
  7. ↑ Geoffrey P. Webb: Dietary supplements and functional foods. Wiley-Blackwell, 2006, ISBN 9781405119092 , p. 196.
  8. ↑ PC Dagnelie, WA van Staveren, H. van den Berg: Vitamin B-12 from algae appears not to be bioavailable. In: The American journal of clinical nutrition. Volume 53, Number 3, March 1991, pp. 695-697, PMID 2000824 .
  9. ↑ Anantharajappa Kumudha, Sagaya Selva Kumar, Munna Singh Thakur, Gokare Aswathanarayana Ravishankar, Ravi Sarada: Purification, Identification, and Characterization of Methylcobalamin from Spirulina platensis . In: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry . tape 58 , no. 18 , September 22, 2010, ISSN  0021-8561 , p. 9925-9930 , doi : 10.1021 / jf102159j .
  10. ↑ a b c Stiftung Warentest : Algae Preparations: The Green Danger , February 11, 2011.
  11. ↑ Microalgae from organic aquaculture
  12. ↑ a b R. Deng, TJ Chow: Hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and antiinflammatory activities of microalgae Spirulina. In: Cardiovascular Therapeutics . Volume 28, Number 4, August 2010, pp. E33 – e45. doi : 10.1111 / j.1755-5922.2010.00200.x . PMID 20633020 . PMC 2907180 (free full text).
  13. Jump up ↑ RJ Marles, ML Barrett, J. Barnes, ML Chavez, P. Gardiner, R. Ko, GB Mahady, T. Low Dog, ND Sarma, GI Giancaspro, M. Sharaf, J. Griffiths: United States pharmacopeia safety evaluation of spirulina. In: Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. Volume 51, Number 7, August 2011, pp. 593-604. doi : 10.1080 / 10408391003721719 . PMID 21793723 .
  14. ↑ Judgment of the OLG Hamm, AZ I-4 U 31/10 of August 17, 2010.
  15. ↑ EFSA: Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to various food (s) / food constituent (s) claiming maintenance of normal blood glucose concentrations (ID 1987, 2091, 2135, 2179, 2335, 2461, 2642, 3145, 3230 , 3244, 3258, 3291, 3345, 3375, 3408, 3438, 3457, 3471, 3528, 3534, 3540, 3554, 3557, 3583, 3625, 3628, 3730, 3782, 3851, 3971, 4034, 4043) pursuant to Article 13 (1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/20061 , EFSA Journal 2010; 8 (2): 1490. doi : 10.2903 / j.efsa.2010.1490
  16. ↑ http://iimsam.org/images/SPIRULINAANDTHEMDGsRevisedDEC2010.pdf
  17. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.iimsamspirulinapledge.org
  18. ↑ http://iimsam.org
  19. ↑ Students develop falafel from algae. In: Israelnetz .de. January 3, 2019, accessed January 18, 2019 .
  20. ↑ PD Karkos, SC Leong, CD Karkos, N. Sivaji, DA Assimakopoulos: Spirulina in clinical practice: evidence-based human applications. In: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011, p. 531053, doi : 10.1093 / ecam / nen058 PMC 3136577 (free full text).
  21. ↑ Z. Khan, P. Bhadouria, PS Bisen: Nutritional and therapeutic potential of spirulina. In: Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology . Volume 6, Number 5, October 2005, pp. 373-379. PMID 16248810 .
  22. ↑ Yang HN, Lee EH, Kim HM. Spirulina platensis inhibits anaphaylactic reaction. Life sciences . 1997; 61 (13): 1237-1244. PMID 9324065
  23. ↑ H.-M. Kim, E.-H. Lee, H.-H. Cho, Y.-H. Moon: Inhibitory effect of mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions in rats by Spirulina. In: Biochemical Pharmacology , Vol. 55, No. 7, 1998, pp. 1071-1076. PMID 9605430
  24. ↑ Kyoko Ishii, T. Katoch, Y. Okuwaki, O. Hayashi: Influence of dietary Spirulina platensis on IgA level in human saliva. In: Journal of Kagawa Nutrition University , Volume 30, 1999; pp. 27-33.
  25. ↑ C. Cingi, M. Conk-Dalay, H. Cakli, C. Bal: The effects of spirulina on allergic rhinitis. In: European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology , PMID 18343939
  26. ↑ TK Mao, J. van de Water, ME Gershwin: Effects of a Spirulina-based dietary supplement on cytokine production from allergic rhinitis patients. In: Journal of Medicinal Food , Volume 8, No. 1, 2005, pp. 27-30. PMID 15857205
  27. ↑ YY Kok, WL Chu, SM Phang SM et al .: Inhibitory activities of microalgal extracts against Epstein-Barr virus DNA release from lymphoblastoid cells. In: J Zhejiang Univ Sci B , Volume 12, No. 5, May 2011, pp. 335-345, doi : 10.1631 / jzus.B1000336 .
  28. ↑ M. Halidou Doudou, H. Degbey, H. Daouda, A. Leveque, P. Donnen, P. Hennart, M. Dramaix-Wilmet: [The effect of spiruline during nutritional rehabilitation: systematic review]. In: Revue d'épidémiologie et de santé publique. Volume 56, Number 6, December 2008, pp. 425-431. doi : 10.1016 / j.respe.2008.08.004 . PMID 19010626 .
  29. ↑ PD Karkos, SC Leong, AK Arya, SM Papouliakos, MT Apostolidou, WJ Issing: 'Complementary ENT': a systematic review of commonly used supplements. In: The Journal of laryngology and otology. Volume 121, Number 8, August 2007, pp. 779-782. doi : 10.1017 / S002221510600449X . PMID 17125579 .

Web links

Commons : Spirulina  - collection of images, videos and audio files