• Market evolution in the USA.
• Natural health food products around the world.
• A specialty food for aquaculture.
• Health food for the aquarium.
• Spirulina - Summary of benefits for aquaculture.
• Health, beauty and color for ornamental birds.
• Healthy food for cats and dogs.
• Tonic for horses, cows and breeding bulls.
• Spirulina - Benefits for pets and animals.
• Natural colors for foods and cosmetics.
• Fluorescent markers for medical tests.
• Enzymes for genetic research.
• New super spirulina products and extracts.

If you take a half teaspoon of powder and mix it in water, within an hour the particles will settle to the bottom, and a beautiful blue color will appear in the water. From another angle it may show a red or violet fluorescence. This water-soluble color is phycocyanin.

Spirulina contains 10-20% phycocyanin by weight and this makes it the best natural blue color for foods. Although you may not see blue food very often, blue, red and yellow are the three primary colors, and blue is used to make other appealing colors.

In Japan, food regulations mandate the use, whenever possible, of natural food colors without chemicals, solvents or preservatives. Dainippon Ink & Chemicals has developed a blue food color from spirulina called Lina-Blue¨, used in chewing gum, ice sherberts, popsicles, candies, soft drinks, dairy products and wasabi, the green colored hot paste served in sushi bars.6 Another form is made for natural cosmetics.

Spirulina is the best source of chlorophyll-a, and it is extracted for a green food color. Chlorella, has more chlorophyll-b, a grayer green color extracted and used in mouthwashes and deodorants.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration regulates food colors and additives. The FDA requires a long and expensive approval process before natural colors can be used in foods and cosmetics, making it difficult for natural colors to replace chemical food dyes. Europeans are switching from chemical to natural food colors, and natural blue from spirulina is available there.

Purified algae extracts are used to track diseases in the human body. These phycobiliproteins are highly sensitive fluorescent dyes. They improve detection of cancer, screen donated blood for AIDS and monitor blood levels of drugs. They enable simultaneous tracking of several diseases in a single sample, allowing easier diagnoses.

Phycobiliproteins are natural pigments in red and blue-green algae, including spirulina. They have names like allophycocyanin, B-phycoerythrin, R-phycoerythrin, C-phycoerythrin and C-phycocyanin. When purified, they are fluorescent, stable, and water soluble.

Researchers watch these fluorescent markers under a microscope, and follow their path inside the human body. They can be easily linked to molecules such as monoclonal antibodies. When these antibodies attach to receptor sites on cells or tissues, the cells can be viewed by the glowing dye marker illuminated by a beam of light.7

Prices for purified phycobiliproteins range from $8,000 to $40,000 per gram. They are used in medical diagnostic kits and fluorescence- activated cell sorter (FACS) instruments in hospital laboratories, but are prized because they are 10-30 times more intense than conventional dyes and are an alternative to unpopular radioactive markers.8

Live spirulina contains many enzymes. Among these, three restriction enzymes have been discovered. Restriction enzymes (endonucleases) work like scissors to cut the DNA of invading enemy microbes. Researchers in genetic engineering use restriction enzymes to cut DNA at precise locations.9

One unique restriction enzyme in spirulina called Spl-1 is not found in any other microbe, bacteria, fungi or algae. Japanese scientists extract Spl-1 from living spirulina, and sell it as a reagent for genetic research in laboratories and institutes. Other enzymes are extracted from the blue-green algae anabaena and nostoc.

One theory proposed to explain spirulina's long life is the role of restriction enzymes. By cutting the DNA of invading enemy microbes, spirulina is thought to protect itself from threatening bacteria or viruses. The three identified restriction enzymes may have been good weapons against ecological enemies for 3.5 billion years.10

Super spirulina has arrived. Leading commercial farms are beginning to grow it with enhanced nutritional attributes. Because microalgae reproduces so rapidly, changes introduced while growing can dramatically increase certain phytochemicals.

Higher iron, zinc and trace minerals

Algae absorbs minerals added to the pond water while growing. This colloidal mineral complex is is more bioavailable than synthetic mineral supplements. Since 1984, Earthrise Farms has produced spirulina with high iron content. Ten grams provide up to 55% of the U.S. Daily Value (DV) for iron. Far East Microalgae of Taiwan produces a high iron, high selenium and high zinc product.

Super spirulina with extra zinc and beta carotene has been developed by Earthrise Farms. A ten gram serving has 600% D.V. for beta carotene and 70% D.V. for zinc. This mineral is essential on a daily basis for good health, powering antioxidant enzymes and a strong immune system, yet most people get only half the zinc they need in their regular diet. Beta carotene and zinc work synergistically as antioxidants to protect against free radical cellular damage from pollution, chemical toxins, radiation and stress.

5.28. Super spirulina with higher zinc and beta carotene.

Higher phycocyanin and beta carotene

By carefully selecting the species, adapting the growing conditions, and using low temperature drying, some farms produce a higher phycocyanin content. Heat sterilization can destroy this prized natural blue pigment. Spirulina from Earthrise Farms in California and Siam Algae in Thailand contains 15 to 20% phycocyanin, and is the most desired for color extraction. Both Earthrise and Cyanotech of Hawaii produce spirulina with higher beta carotene.

Higher GLA and sulfolipids

Scientists want to increase specific essential fatty acid content, especially gamma-linolenic acid. GLA is 1% of spirulina, and comprises 20% of its lipid content. By modifying the growing conditions, scientists hope to raise GLA content to 5%, and at least double the sulfolipid content. Commercial products may eventually follow from the NCI research identifying anti-cancer and anti-AIDS effects of sulfolipids. If sulfolipids were extracted, the remainder would be a concentrated food with the protein, minerals and vitamins largely intact.

Polysaccharide extracts for fish and animals

As the aquaculture industry expands, there is tremendous opportunity for probiotic specialty feeds. Several companies are already offering fish feeds with natural polysaccharides and beta glucans from yeast to enhance immune activity. These feeds would replace antibiotics used to control disease in farmed animals. There are two problems with antibiotics: 1) appearance of antibiotic resistant microorganisms, and 2) accumulation of antibiotics in fish.

With the recent discoveries of the benefits of polysaccharides in spirulina, researchers are studying the immune properties of polysaccharide extracts closely for potential therapeutic uses.

Phytochemical and pharmaceutical extracts
Scientists are searching for phytochemicals and pharmaceuticals in algae. Because numerous studies have shown therapeutic effects at low doses, extracts of the active ingredients are promising. Growers will learn how to enhance the concentration of these substances.

In some cases it may not be necessary to use the plant extract directly. One example is the extraction of phycocyanin for food coloring and for immunofluorescence studies. In this case the algae and its extract must pass rigorous screening for toxicity before approval is granted for use.

A leading expert in large scale cultivation, Dr. Amha Belay, has suggested that if pharmaceutical extracts of algae prove useful, spirulina has advantages over other algae: 1) The technology for mass cultivation and harvesting is available. 2) It has two decades of toxicity testing and safe human use for centuries. 3) It is already sold in many parts of the world as a safe food supplement. 4) Microbial and heavy metal standards have been established. 5) Its protein can be used after extraction of desired pharmaceuticals.11

5.29. Liquid extract sold in Japan.

Recently, several pharmaceutical drug companies have become interested in growing algae for extracts to be used in new pharmaceutical drugs. Cultivation biotechnology at existing commercial farms and new photobioreactor systems under development will produce these emerging products.