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The important Polysaccharides found in BAC
The algae found in Bio-Algae Concentrates have unique cell wall structure
that imparts additional immune-enhancing properties. Their cell wall is
made of complex polysaccharides, which have been shown to stimulate
interferon production and exhibit strong anti-tumor activity. This
was shown in a series of studies conducted over
the last several decades.
The results of the Baojiang study, given at the Second Asia-Pacific Conference on
Algal Biotechnology, 1994, concluded that polysaccharides of spirulina platensis,
at the dosage of 150-300 mg/kg by injection or taken orally,
can increase the percentage of T-lymphocyte in the blood.
The results demonstrate that spirulina polysaccharides can improve
cellular and humoral immunity.
In another study, the effects of spirulina platensis extract exposure on
chicken macrophages were examined.
Sephadex-elicited abdominal exudate macrophage monolayers were exposed to varying
concentration (10 to 40 mcg/ml) of spirulina for 1 to 16 hours. Spirulina treated
macrophages exhibited phenotypic changes in terms of increased spreading and
vacuolization with minimal cytotoxicity. Percentage of phagocytic macrophages
for unopsonized sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and average number of internalized
SRBC was significantly higher in spirulina treated macrophages as compared to
the sham treated controls. However, phagocytosis of opsonized SRBC was not
effected by spirulina treatment. Macrophage cultures exposed to spirulina
produced a factor in their culture supernant with tumorcidal potential which
was similar in reactivity to the one produced by macrophages after exposure
to lipopolysaccharide. The ability of splenic natural killer cells to kill
tumor cell targets was not affected by spirulina treatment.
These findings suggest that spirulina exposure enhances selected effector
functions of cells of the chicken immune system after in vitro exposure.
References and Sources:
Effects of polysaccharide and phycocyanin from spirulina on peripheral
blood and hematopoietic system of bone marrow in mice. by Zhang Cheng-Wu, et al..
April 1994. Nanjing Univ. China. Pub. in Proc. of Second Asia Pacific
Conf. on Algal Biotech. Univ. of Malaysia. p.58. China.
Spirulina extracts enhances chicken macrophage functions after in vitro exposure.
by M. Qureshi, et al. 1995. Pub. in Jour. Nutritional Immunology, No. 3 (4) 35-45. USA.
Immunostimulating activity of lipopolysaccharides from blue-green algae.
by L. Besednova, et al. 1979. Pub. in Zhurnal Mikrobiologii, Epidemiologii,
Immunobiologii, 56(12) pp 75-79. Russia.
