Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
SPIRULINA MAXIMA
SP. NOV. (=
ANTHOSPIRA MAXIMA
)
Phylum: Cyanobacteria Class: Cyanophyceae
Order: Pseudanabaenales Family: Pseudanabaenaceae
Distribution: Central America, Mexico, Africa, Central Asia, North and
South America
Habitat: Alkaline freshwater habitats, lakes
Description: This photosynthetic and multicellular species has spiral-
shaped ilaments.
Compounds and activities: The hot-water extract of this species was found to
inhibit the infection of HSV-2, pseudorabies virus (PRV), human cytomega-
lovirus (HCMV), and HSV-1, and the 50% effective inhibition doses (ED
50
)
were 0.069, 0.0103, 0.142, and 0.333 mg/ml for each virus, respectively.
The highest antiviral activity (for HSV-2 with a selective index of 128) was
with methanol-water (3:1), which was due to its highly polar compounds
(Corona, 2002). The extracts of this species have also shown antimicrobial,
antihyperlipidemic (decreased postprandial lipemia), antihyperglycemic,
antihypertensive, and hepatoprotective activities. The presence of about
70 powerful phytonutrients of this species make it a good food supplement,
and these compounds have been reported to reduce systolic and diastolic
blood pressure in humans.
