Phycocyanin enhances secretary IgA antibody response and suppresses allergic IgE antibody response in mice immunized with antigen-entrapped biodegradable microparticles. – Department of Health and Nutrition, Kagawa Nutrition University, Chiyoda, Sakado, Saitama 350-0288, Japan

Phycocyanin boosts the immune system – In Japan, studies on mice suggests that phycocyanin raises lymphocyte activity and may increase survival of cancer-stricken organisms. – Iijima, N., Shimamatsu, H., et. Al. (inventors; Dainippon Ink x Chemicals assignee). Anti-tumor agent and method of treatment therewith. US Patent pending, ref. P1150-726-A82679, App. !5 Sep 1982.

C-phycocyanin: a biliprotein with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. – Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado 6412, Habana, Cuba. - Curr Protein Pept Sci.2003 Jun; 4(3):207-16

Analysis revealed the antioxidant and antiurolithic potential of phycocyanin thereby projecting it as a promising therapeutic agent against renal cell injury associated kidney stone formation. – Department of Medical Biochemistry, Dr. ALM Postgraduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani, Chennai 600113, India. – chem. Biol Interact. 2004 Aug 10; 149(1):1-7

C-phycocyanine are able to reduce the steady state concentration of the peroxyl radicals. – Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile. – Free radic boil Med 2000 Apr 1; 28(7):1051-5

Increase in phycocyanin content was related to an increase in the antioxidant activity in different fractions, and therefore phycobiliprotein phycocyanin is the component mainly responsible for the antioxidant activity. – Departamento de Farmacologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. – Farmaco 2001 May-Jul:56(5-7): 497-500

Study has demonstrated that phycocyanin, a biliprotein from spirulina platensis has the ability to inhibit the ONOO(-), a potent physiological inorganic toxin, hence has the potential to be used as a therapeutic agent. – Chemical Biology Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India – Biochem Biophys Res Common 2001 jul 13; 285(2):262-6

C-phycocyanin significantly decreases Kupffer cell phagocytosis and the associated respiratory burst activity, effects that may contribute to the abolition of oxidative stress-induces TNF-alpha response and NO production by hyperthyroid state. – Centro de Investigaciones del Ozono, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba. – Inflamm Res 2002 Jul;51(7):351-6

Phycocyanin provides protection to liver enzymes – Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560 012, India. – Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1998 Aug 19;249(2):428-31

Antioxidant nature of C-phycocyanin protects the renal cell against oxalate-induced injury and may be a nephroprotective agent. – Department of Medical Biochemistry, Dr. AL Mudalia Post-Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani, Chennai-600 113, India. – Clin Chim Acta. 2004 Oct; 348(1-2):199-205

Phycocyanin and polysaccharides enhanced bone marrow reproduction, growth of thymus and spleen and biosynthesis of serum protein.– Zhang Cheng-Wu, et. al. Effects of polyssacharides and phycocyanin from spirulina on peripheral blood and hematopoietic system of bone marrow in mice. Second Asia Pacific Conf. Ibid, April, 1994

Phycocyanin, a novel hypocholesterolemic protein derived from spirulina platensis, can powerfully influence serum cholesterol concentrations and impart a stronger hypocholesterolemic activity than SPC (Spirulina platensis concentrate) in animals. – Department of Applied Life Science, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan – J Nutr.2005 Oct;135(10):2425-30

Phycocyanin may inhibit free radicals (such as hydroxyl radicals) released from activated platelets, which ultimately inhibits platelet aggregation. These results strongly indicate that Phycocyanin appears to represent a novel and potential antiplatelet agent for treatment of arterial thromboembolism. – Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, and Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan. – J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Oct 5; 53(20):7734-40.

Algal phycocyanin promotes growth of human cells in culture. – Food Additive Laboratory, National Food Research Institute, Ibaraki, Japan – In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 1988 Oct;24(10):1057-60

C-phycocyanin protected cerebellar granule cells from the apoptosis induced by deprivation. – Unitat de Farmacologia I Farmacognosia, Facultat de Farmacia, Nucli Universitari de Pedralbes, Barcelona, Spain. – Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2001 Aug; 364(2):96-104

Phycocyanin could be used to treat oxidative stress-induced neuronal injury inneurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. – Unitat de Farmacologia I Farmacognosia, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain. – Neurosci Lett 1999 Dec 3;276(2): 75-8

Phycocyanin proved to be almost sixteen times more efficient as an antioxidant than trolox and about twenty times more efficient than ascorbic acid. Our results provide evidence of the protective effect of phcocyanin against haemolysis induced by peroxyl radicals in human erythrocytes, which seems to be due to the scavenging action of the radicals in the aqueous phase. Thus inhibiting chain of initiation of lipid peroxidation, in a similar manner to trolox and ascorbic acid. – Department of Pharmacology, National Center for Scientific Research, PO Box 6412. Havana City, Cuba.

Spirulina’s proven health benefits for child victims of Chernobyl radiation – spirulina reduced urine radioactivity levels by 50% in only 20 days. No side effects were registered. – Sokolovskiy, V.Corres. from the First Secretary BSSR Mission to the United Nations, May 20, 1991.

Use of spirulina to reduce allergic reactions to radiation sickness, based on a study of 270 children living in highly radioactive areas – consuming spirulina lowered the levels of IgE in the blood. – Evets, P. et. al. Means to normalise the levels of immunoglobulin E, using the food supplement spirulina. Grodenski State Medical Univ. Russian Fed Comm Patents and Trade. Patent (19)RU (11)2005486. Jan. 15, 1994.

Wistar rats have been exposed to X-rays with a dose of 5 Gy. Significant decrease in dehydrogenase activity, energy-rich phosphate level and efficiency of antioxidant defence and significant increase in pyruvate amount were observed within 4 weeks. It was also found that the feeding of exposed rats with phycocyanin lead to correcting effect. – Mechnikov Odessa State University, Ukraina – Radiats Biol Radioecol 2000 May-Jun;40(3):310-4

The radioprotective effect of an extract of Spirulina platensis has been studied using the micronucleus test in polychromatic erythrocytes of bone marrow of mice. In this system the extract caused a significant reduction of the micronucleus frequencies induced by gamma-radiation. – Department of Biotechnology, zhongkai Argriculture and Technology College, Guangzhou People’s republic of China – Toxicol Lett 1989 Aug;48(2):165-9

Small dosage of phycocyanin daily maintains or accelerates normal control cell functions that prevents generation of malignancy such as cancer or inhibits its growth or recurrence. – Dainippon Ink x Chemicals and Tokyo Kenkyukai (inventors and assignee). Anti-tumor agents containing phycobilin – also used to treat ulcers and hemorrhoidal bleeding. 1983, JP58065216 A 830418.

C-Phycocyanin, the major light harvesting biliprotein from Spirulina platensis is of greater importance because of its various biological and pharmacological properties. It is a water soluble, non-toxic fluorescent protein pigment with potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. – Department of Animal Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India. – Biochem Pharmacol. 2004 Aug 1;68(3):453-62

Phycocyanin significantly inhibited the growth of human leukemia K562 cells. – Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 2/0093, PR of China.

The recombinant Я subunit of C-phycocyanin inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis – Cancer Letters – Department of Biology. Georgia Cancer Center, Georgia State University, University Plaza, Atlanta, Ga30303. USA – Received 16 January 2006, received in revised form 31 March 2006, accepted 6 April 2006.

The anti-inflammatory effect of microalgae spirulina was studied in Zymosan-induced arthritis in mice. The anti-arthritic effect exerted by spirulina as shown in this model may be at least partly due to the previously reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties of its constituent, Phycocyanin. – Ozone International Center, Havana, Cuba – Mediators Inflamm 2002 Apr;11(2):75-9

Phycocyanin may result, at least partially, from inhibition of prostaglandin E2 production and a moderate inhibition of phospholipase A2 activity. – Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas, CNIC, Habana, Cuba – Arzneimittelforschung 2000 Dec;50(12):1106-9

Anti-inflammatory activity of phycocyanin extract in acetic acid-induced colitis in rats – Pharmacology Department, National Center for Scientific Research, PO Box 6990, Havan, Cuba

Phycocyanin shows anti-inflammatory activity in four experimental models of inflammation. Its antioxidative and oxygen free radical scavenging properties may contribute, at least in part, to its anti-inflammatory activity. – Depto. Farmacologia, Centro Nac. Invest. Cientificas, CNIC, Habana, Cuba – Inflamm Res 1998 Aug;47(8):334-8