The microalga Spirulina
Uses
- Feed for young fish
- Supplementary feed for fish and decapods
- Own feed mixtures
Systematics
- Phylum Cyanophyta (blue-green algae/cyanobacteria)
- Family Cyanophyceae
- Genus Spirulina (corkscrew algae)
- SKUs platensis (Large K.), abbreviata (Small K.), jenneri (Blue-green K.)
- Large corkscrew algae - originally native to the soda lakes of the (sub)tropics (not a marine alga)
- Filaments spirally coiled, slightly constricted at the cross-walls, planktonic or in colonies
- Cells square or shorter than wide
- Cells 2 - 6 µm long, 6 - 8 µm wide, filament coils 25 - 40 µm wide, coils 45 - 60 µm apart
- In stagnant waters, where it can cause massive blooms
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 |
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