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The Microalgae Spirulina

Use

  • Food for young fish
  • Supplementary food for fish and decapods
  • Own food mixtures

Systematics

  1. Phylum Cyanophyta (blue-green algae/cyanobacteria)
  2. Family Cyanophyceae
  3. Genus Spirulina (corkscrew algae)
  4. Species platensis (large c.), abbreviata (small c.), jenneri (blue-green c.)
  • Large corkscrew algae - originally native to the soda lakes of the (sub)tropics (not marine algae)
  • Filaments helically wound, slightly constricted at the transverse walls, planktonic or in layers
  • Cells square or shorter than wide
  • Cells 2 - 6 µm long, 6 - 8 µm wide, coils of filaments 25 - 40 µm wide, circumferences 45 - 60 µm apart
  • In stagnant waters, where it can cause huge aquatic blooms
Spirulina in the microscope

Culture

Today it is cultivated worldwide in the appropriate climate zones in a strongly alkaline medium (13.61 g NaHCO3 / 4.03 g Na2CO3 per litre of water [pH 9]).

Fertilise with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus (phosphate), sulphur (sulphate), magnesium and trace elements (calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, boron, cobalt, molybdenum and copper).
The culture must be aerated.
The extraction is carried out gently by spray drying; on a laboratory scale also gently by pouring over gauze.

Literature

Dr Ingo Botho Reize, DATZ 54(2), 60 (2001). - Brief report
Dr Ingo Botho Reize, Koralle 2(8), 36 (2001).

Typical composition

General [%]
Protein 60.4
Carbohydrates 12.6
Fats 4.9
Moisture 5.6
Ash 8.0
Crude fibre 8.5
Protein [%]

Amino acids, essential

 
Isoleucine 4.8
leucine 7.1
Lysine 7.5
Methionine 2.0
Phenylalanine 3.6
Threonine 8.3
Tryptophan 2.4
Valine 5.1

Amino acids, non-essential

 
Alanine 5.4
Arginine 5.2
Aspartic acid 6.0
Cystine 0.6
Glutamic acid 8.6
Glycine 6.6
Histidine 1.0
Proline 5.6
Serine 3.6
Tyrosine 2.5
Carbohydrates [%]
Ramnose 9.0
Glucan 1.5
Phosphorilated cyclitols 2.5
Glucosamine + Muramic acid 2.0
Glycogen 0.5
Fats (fatty acids) [mg/kg]
Lauric acid (C12) 229
Myristic acid (C14) 582
Palmitoleic acid (C16) 1.762
Palmitic acid (C16) 18.820
Palmitoleic acid (C16) 2.157
Heptadecanoic acid (C17) 116
Oleic acid (C18) 2.489
Total Linoleic acid (C18), of which 12.350
γ-Linolenic acid (C18) 11.900
α-Linolenic acid (C18) 293
Colouring agents [mg/kg]
Carotenoids, total 3.350
of which β-Carotene 1.200 - 1.800
Chlorophyll 11.800
Phycocyanin 12.000 - 15.000
Nucleic acids [%]
RNA - Ribonucleic acid 2.8
DNA - Deoxyribonucleic acid 0.8
Vitamins [mg/kg]
Biotin (H) 0.4
Cyanocobalamin (B12) 0.11
Ca-Pantothenate 11.0
Folic acid 0.5
Inositol 350
Niacin 118
Pyridoxine (B6) 6.0
Riboflavin (B2) 40.0
Thiamine (B1) 55.0
Tocopherol (E) 10 - 60
Ubiquinone (Q10) 2.0
Minerals / trace elements [mg/kg]
Calcium (Ca) 3.200
Phosphorus (P) 6.800
Iron (Fe) 360
Sodium (Na) 3.310
Chloride (Cl) 144
Magnesium (Mg) 4.350
Manganese (Mn) 48
Zinc (Zn) 50
Potassium (K) 1.530
Selenium (Se) 0.5
Lithium (Li) 0.35
Chromium (Cr) 3.2
Copper (Cu) 3.0
Iodine (I) 12.6
Enzymes [Units/g]
SOD (superoxide dismutase) 242
Glutathione peroxidase 3.32
Heavy metals [mg/kg]
Arsenic (As) < 0.10
Lead (Pb) < 0.07
Cadmium (Cd) < 0.10
Mercury (Hg) < 0.01