Selective Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase-2 by C-Phycocyanin, a Biliprotein from Spirulina platensis

Spirulina Prevents Atherosclerosis by Reducing Hypercholesterolemia in Rabbits Fed a High-Cholesterol Diet

“…Phycocyanin, an antioxidant biliprotein pigment, is similar in chemical structure to bilirubin, acts as a potent free radical scavenger (hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals) and inhibits microsomal lipid peroxidation (36,37). Moreover, phycocyanin in spirulina was reported to prevent early development of atherosclerosis, characterized by lipid deposition on the aorta and formation of foam cells (38), which might be engendered by accumulation of oxidized LDL in monocyte-derived macrophages.…”

Proliferation and Differentiation of Hematopoietic Cells and Preservation of Immune Functions

“…Recent studies have demonstrated the antioxidant (Vadiraja et al, 1998;Wu and Annie Ho, 2008), anti-inflammatory (Reddy et al, 2000), and hepatoprotective properties (Vadiraja et al, 1998), in addition to anticancer, anti-allergic, immune-enhancing (Hayashi et al, 2008), blood-vessel-relaxing and blood-lipid-lowering effects of CPC (Gershwin and Belay, 2008).…”

Consumption of an aqueous cyanophyta extract derived from Arthrospira platensis is associated with reduction of chronic pain: results from two human clinical pilot studies

“…10,11 Lipid extracts of several species of blue-green algae were shown to decrease the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB, thus contributing to decreased expression and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. 12 The pharmacological properties of phycocyanin, one of the photosynthetic components of blue-green algae, have been linked to its ability to inhibit COX-2 enzymatic activity 13 and to inhibit lipid peroxidation and to scavenge free radicals in vitro.…”

“…The primary component of ACE is phycocyanin, which is known to act as an antioxidant and a selective COX-2 inhibitor 13 with documented anti-inflammatory properties. [8][9][10] In addition to phycocyanin, ACE contains antiinflammatory compounds different from phycocyanin yet with complementary anti-inflammatory properties.…”