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Scientific Abstracts by Health Category
Over 100 references covering 30 years of international research.
Anti-Viral Activity
  • Inhibition of HIV-1 replication by an aqueous extract of Spirulina platensis (Arthrospira platensis).
    by Seyoum Ayehunie(1), Amha Belay (2), Timothy Baba(1,3) and Ruth Ruprecht(1).
    (1) Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; (2) Earthrise Farms, Calipatria, CA; (3) Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
    Pub. in Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology, 18:7-12. USA 1998.

    An aqueous extract of the blue-green filamentous algae Arthrospira platensis (previously called Spirulina platensis) inhibited HIV-1 replication in human T-cell lines, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and Langerhans cells (LC). Extract concentrations ranging between 0.3 and 1.2 mcg/ml reduced viral production by approximately 50% (50% effective concentration [EC50] in PBMCs). The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of extract for PBMC growth ranged between 0.8 and 3.1 mg/ml. Depending on the cell type used, therapeutic indices ranged between 200 and 6000. The extract inactivated HIV-1 infectivity directly when preincubated with virus before addition to human T-cell lines. Fractionation of the extract revealed antiviral activity in the polysaccharide fraction and also in a fraction depleted of polysaccharides and tannins. We conclude that aqueous A platensis extracts contain antiretroviral activity that may be of potential clinical interest.
    Key Words: Arthrospira platensis extract - HIV-1 replication inhibition - Primary cells.

  • Calcium Spirulan, an inhibitor of enveloped virus replication, from a blue-green alga Spirulina.
    by Hayashi et al. 1996. Pub. in Journal of Natural Products, 59, 83-87. Japan.

    Bioactivity-directed fractionation of a hot H2O extract from a blue-green-alga Spirulina platensis led to the isolation of a novel sulfated polysaccharide named Calcium Spirulan (Ca-SP) as an antiviral principle. This polysaccharide was composed of rhamnose, ribose, mannose, fructose, galactose, xylose, glucose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, sulfate and calcium. Ca-SP was found to inhibit the replication of several enveloped viruses, including Herpes simplex virus type 1, human cytomegalovirus, measles virus, mumps virus, influenza A virus and HIV-1. It was revealed that Ca-SP selectively inhibited the penetration of virus into host cells. Retention of molecular conformation by chelation of calcium ion with sulfate groups was suggested to be indispensible to its antiviral effect.

  • An extract from spirulina is a selective inhibitor of herpes simplex virus Type 1 Penetration into HeLa Cells.
    by Hayashi et al. 1993. Pub. in Phytotherapy Research, Vol. 7. 76-80. Japan.

    The water soluble extract of spirulina achieved a dose-dependent inhibition of the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in HeLa cells within the concentration range of 0.08-50 mg/mL. This extract proved to have no virucidal activity and did not interfere with adsorption to host cells. However, the extract affected viral penetration in a dose-dependent manner. At 1 mg/ml the extract was found to inhibit virus-specific protein synthesis without suppressing host cell protein synthesis if added to the cells 3 hours before hamsters at doses of 100 and 500 mg/kg per day.

  • Antiviral activity of blue-green algae cultures.
    by Patterson. 1993. Pub. in Journal of Phycology 29, 125-130. USA.

    Lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts from approximately 600 strains of cultured cyanophytes, representing some 300 species, were examined for antiviral activity against three pathogenic viruses. Approximately 10% of the cultures produced substances that caused significant reduction in cytopathic effect normally associated with viral infection. The screening program identified Chroocococcales as commonly producing antiviral agents. Key index words: antiviral, cyanobacteria, cyanophyte, herpes virus, HIV-1, HIV-2, human immunodeficiency virus, natural products, pharmaceutical, respiratory syncytical virus.

  • AIDS Antiviral sulfolipids from cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).by K. Gustafson, et al. August 16, 1989. Pub. in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 81(16) pg. 1254. USA.

    Sulfoglycolipids from blue-green algae exhibit strong antiviral properties. Helper T-cells exposed to blue-green algae-sulfoglycolipids were protected from HIV-1 infection in in vitro studies.

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