• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.144-150
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• 2004

We have investigated the effect of calcium spirulan(Ca-SP) isolated from a blue-green alga Spirulina platensis, which is a sulfated polysaccharide chelating calcium and mainly composed of rhamnose and fructose, on invasion of both B16- BL6 melanoma cells, Colon 26 carcinoma and HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cells through reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel). Ca-SP significantly inhibited the invasion of these tumor cells through Matrigel/fibronectin-coated filters in a concentration-dependent manner. Ca-SP also inhibited the haptotactic migration of tumor cells to laminin, but it had no inhibitory effect on tumor cell migration to fibronectin-coated filters. Ca-SP prevented the adhesion of B16-BL6 cells to Matrigel- and laminin-substrates but did not affect the adhesion to fibronectin. The pretreatment of tumor cells with Ca-SP inhibited the adhesion to laminin in a concentration-dependent fashion, while the pretreatment of laminin-substrates did not. Ca-SP had no effect on the production and activation of type IV collagenase in gelatin zymography. In contraset, Ca-SP significantly inhibited degradation of heparan sulfate by purified heparanase. The experimental lung metastasis was significantly reduced by co-injection of B16-BL6 cells with Ca-SP in a dose-dependent manner. Seven intermittent ⅰ.ⅴ. injection of 100$\mu\textrm{g}$ of Ca-SP caused a marked decrease of lung tumor colonization of B16-BL6 cells in a spontaneous lung metastasis model. These results suggest that Ca-SP, a novel sulfated polysaccharide, could reduce the lung colonization of B16-BL6 melanoma cells in experimental metastasis model, by inhibiting the tumor invasion of basement membrane Matrigel, probably through the prevention of the adhesion and migration of tumor cells to laminin-substrate and of the heparanase activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.481-485
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• 2005

The response of Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis to high salt stress was investigated by incubating the cells in light of moderate intensity in the presence of 0.8 M NaCl. NaCl caused a decrease in photosystem II (PSII) mediated oxygen evolution activity and increase in photosystem I (PSI) activity and the amount of P700. Similarly maximal efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) and variable fluorescence (Fv/Fo) were also declined in salt-stressed cells. Western blot analysis reveal that the inhibition in PSII activity is due to a 40% loss of a thylakoid membrane protein, known as D1, which is located in PSII reaction center. NaCl treatment of cells also resulted in the alterations of other thylakoid membrane proteins: most prominently, a dramatic diminishment of the 47-kDa chlorophyll protein (CP) and 94-kDa protein, and accumulation of a 17-kDa protein band were observed in SDS-PAGE. The changes in 47-kDa and 94-kDa proteins lead to the decreased energy transfer from light harvesting antenna to PSII, which was accompanied by alterations in the chlorophyll fluorescence emission spectra of whole cells and isolated thylakoids. Therefore we conclude that salt stress has various effects on photosynthetic electron transport activities due to the marked alterations in the composition of thylakoid membrane proteins.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2024

While scientific information on the spatial variation of soda lake Microalgae is important to limnological studies, little information was reported from the Ethiopian Rift Valley Lake, Lake Chitu. This study aimed to understand the spatial distribution of the dominant Microalgae taxa in Lake Chitu, Ethiopia. The collection of samples and in situ measurements of some physico-chemical parameters were recorded at three sites for one cycle in November 2021. Fourteen species or genera of Microalgae were identified. Among those, Bacillariophyta were the most important with regard to species abundance and the rarest in species richness. Cyanophyta were the second-most important group in terms of species richness and rarity. Comparatively, all microalgae taxa were rare at both the anthropogenic areas (AA) and the flooding area (FA), which could be mainly due to intensive human and animal intervention and associated with extreme turbidity. Among Cyanophyta, Chroococcus minutus, Microcystis aeruginosa, and Spirulina platensis/fusiformis were predominant at both AA and FA, revealing their adaptation to less clear water and pollution. But S. platensis/fusiformis attained the highest abundance at the FA, indicating their preference for water in a highly nutrient-enriched area. We concluded that the spatial variation of microalgae diversity in relation to water quality parameters has implications for the importance of microalgae as a baseline indicator of water quality assessment tools in lakes.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.125-136
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• 2004

The pharmacological mechanisms of most Oriental medicines have not been clearly defined in spite of their effective use in treating many diseases throughout the world. Many Oriental medicines have been used against various allergic diseases for generations, and still occupy an important place in traditional medicine in far eastern countries including Korea. It is also still unclear how Oriental drugs prevent allergic disease in vivo or in vitro models. Some Korean folk medicine inhibited the mast cell-mediated allergic reaction. This review summarizes the effective folk medicine in experimental effect on systemic or local anaphylaxis reaction. Potential anti-anaphylactic folk medicines include: Poncirus trifoliata; Siegesbeckia glabrescence; Solanum lyratum; Aquilaria agallocha; Ulmi radicis; Polygonum tinctorium; Hwanglyun-Haedok-Tang; Rehmannia glutinosa; Kum-Hwag-San; Syzygium aromaticm; Spirulina platensis; Sosiho-Tang; Sinomenium acutum; Schizonepta tenuifolia; Shini-San; Magnoliae flos; Sochungryong-Tang; Oryza sativa; Cryptotympana atrata; Salviae radix; Rosa davurica; Asiasari radix; Chung-Dae-San; Cichorium intybus; Perilla frutescens; Vitex rotundifolia; Terminalia chebula; Siberian Ginseng; Solanum melongena; Gahmi-Shini-San; Alpinia oxyphylla; Acanthopanax senticosus root; Prunella vulgaris; Allergina; Ixeris dentate; Acanthopanax senticosus stem; Tongkyutang; Salvia plebeia; Rubus coreanus; Sinpo- Tang; Dodutang; Forsythia fructus; Xanthii fructus; and Purple bamboo slat. Ensuring the effects and understanding the mechanisms of action for these Oriental medicines can permit drug development and laying of the ground-work for evaluating potential synergistic effects by addition and subtraction of prescriptions.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2000

Although Oriental medicines have long been used effectively in treating many diseases throughout the world, the pharmacological mechanisms of most Oriental medicines used have not been defined. As part of our continuing search for biologically active antiallergic drugs from natural sources, Oriental medicines were analyzed. Some Oriental medicines have been used against various allergic diseases for generations, and still occupies an important place in traditional medicine in Korea. It is also still unclear how Oriental medicine prevents allergic disease in experimental animal models. Some Korean folk medicines inhibited the mast cell-mediated allergic reaction. This review summarizes the effective folk medicine in experimental effect of allergic reaction. Potential antiallergic folk medicines include: Poncirus trifoliata; Siegesbeckia glabrescence; Solanum lyratum; Aquilaria agallocha; Ulmi radicis; Polygonum tinctorium; Hwanglyun-Haedok-Tang; Rehmannia glutinosa; Kum- Hwag-San; Syzygium aromaticm; Spirulina platensis; Sosiho-Tang; Sinomenium acutum; Schizonepta tenuifolia; Shini-San; Magnoliae flos; Sochungryoung-Tang; Oryza sativa; Cryptotympana atrata; Salviae radix; Rosa davurica; Asiasari radix; Chung-Dae-San; and Cichorium intybus. Understanding the mechanisms of action for these Oriental medicines can permit drug development and laying of the ground-work for evaluating potential synergistic effects by addition and subtraction of prescriptions.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.537-551
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• 2022

The rapid decrease of fossil fuel resources and increase of environmental pollution caused by aviation industries have become a severe issue which leads to an increase in the greenhouse effect. The use of biofuel becomes an option to alleviate issues related to unrenewable resources. This study presents a computational simulation of the biofuel combustion characteristics of various alternative fuels in an annular combustion chamber designed for training aircraft. The biofuels used in this study are Sorghum Oil Methyl Ester (SOME), Spirulina Platensis Algae (SPA) and Camelina Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (CHEFA). Meanwhile, Jet-A is used as a baseline fuel. The fuel properties and combustion characteristics are being investigated and analysed. The results are presented in terms of temperature and pressure profiles in addition to the formation of NOx and soot generated from the combustion chamber. Results obtained show that CHEFA fuel is the most recommended biofuel among all four tested fuels as it is being found that it burns with 37.6% lower temperature, 15.2% lower pressure, 89.5% lower NOx emission and 8.1% lower soot emission compared with the baseline fuel in same combustion chamber geometry with same initial parameters.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.583-592
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• 2023

Celebes rainbow (Marosantherina ladigesi) is one of Indonesia's exported ornamental fish commodities, but the exploitation of this fish only relies on wild catches. The rise of unlimited fishing, especially those using poison, has changed the aquatic environment, threatening sustainability and causing fish extinction. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of several types of feed in improving the absolute growth rate (AGR), specific growth rate (SGR), survival rate (SR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficiency (FE), hematology, and immune response of Celebes rainbow. The fish used in this study were male ornamental Celebes rainbow (M. ladigesi) weighing 1.32 ± 0.21 g/ind, reared in 54 L-aquariums at a stocking density of 30 individuals/aquarium for six weeks. The fish were fed according to the test diet consisting of live Tubifex sp worms, dry Tubifex sp worms, Spirulina platensis, and crumble pellets. The parameters observed were AGR, SGR, SR, FCR, FE, hematology, intestinal histology, liver histology, and a challenge test with the pathogenic bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila. The results showed that fish-fed live Tubifex sp worms had better AGR, SGR, SR, FCR, FE, hematology, and disease resistance compared to all other treatments. These results indicate that live Tubifex sp worms are the best feed for rearing Celebes rainbow.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2007

The objective of this research was to review the correlation between microalgae and agricultural water quality. Although microalgae has been considered as an essential factor for control1ing of water ecosystem, little attention has been paid for evaluating of microalgae as an important factor for water quality management. But it can be use to make us know the water pollution state at saprobic system, LTSI (Lake Tropic State Index), DAIpo (Diatom Assemblage Index to Organic Pollution), and AGP (Algal growth potential). In saprobic system, it is used microalgae such as Actinastrum hantzschii var. fluviatile, Asterionella gracillima, Coelastrum microporum, Synedra acus, Dictyosphaerium pulchellum, Micractinium pusillum, Cyclotella meneghiniana, Microcystis aeruginosa, Scenedesmus quadricauda, and Nitzschia palea for assessment water quality. In addition, they have ecologically significant characteristics such as dominant species, cosmopolitan species, redtide causative species etc. Also, microalgae such as Botryococcus braunii, B. sp., Chlorella vulgaris, C. sp., Phormidium sp., Scenedesmus quadricauda, Selenastrum capricornutum, Spirulina maxima, and S. platensis have an effect on improvement of water quality.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.770-780
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• 2009

A new photosensitizer, 9-Hydroxypheophorbide-a (9-HpbD-a), was derived from Spirulina platensis. We conducted a series of experiments, in vitro and in vivo, to evaluate the anticancer effect and mechanism of photodynamic therapy using 9-HpbD-a and 660 nm diode lasers on a squamous carcinoma cell line. We studied the cytotoxic effects of pheophytin-a, 9-HpbD-a, 9-HpbD-a red and 660 nm diode lasers in a human head and neck cancer cell line (SNU-1041). Cell growth inhibition was determined by using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay. The effects of 9-HpbD was higher than those of 9-HpbD-a red or pheophytin-a in PDT. We then tested the cytotoxic effects of 9-hydroxypheophorbide-a (9-HpbD-a) in vitro. The cultured SNU-I041 cells were treated with serial concentrations of 9-HpbD-a followed by various energy doses (0, 0.1, 0.5, 3.2 J/$cm^{2}$) and by various interval times (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 hr) until laser irradiation, then MTT assay was applied to measure the relative inhibitory effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Optimal laser irradiation time was 30 minutes and the cytotoxic effects according to incubation time after 9-HpbD-a treatment increased until 6 hours, after which it then showed no increase. To observe the cell death mechanism after PDT, SUN-I041 cells were stained by Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide after PDT, and observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The principal mechanism of PDT at a low dose of 9-HpbD-a was apoptosis, and at a high dose of 9-HpbD-a it was necrosis. PDT effects were also observed in a xenografted nude mouse model. Group I (no 9-HpbD-a, no laser irradiation) and Group II (9-HpbD-a injection only) showed no response (4/4, 100%), and Group III (laser irradiation only) showed recurrence (1/4,25%) or no response (3/4, 75 %). Group IV (9-HpbD-a + laser irradiation) showed complete response (10/16, 62.5%), recurrence (4/16, 25%) or no response (2/16, 12.5%). Group IV showed a significant remission rate compared to other groups (p<0.05). These results suggest that 9-HpbD-a is a promising photosensitizer for the future and that further studies on biodistribution, toxicity and mechanism of action would be needed to use 9-HpbD-a as a photosensitizer in the clinical setting.