Phycocyanin is a dark blue powder isolated from Spirulina. Mainly found in cyanobacteria, red algae and cryptographic algae. Phycocyanin is also usually divided into C-phycocyanin and R-phycocyanin, the former mainly exists in cyanobacteria, the latter mainly exists in red algae, and both are present in cryptoalgae. Its function is to absorb light (orange-yellow) energy and transmit light energy. It is both a protein and an excellent natural food coloring as well as a good health food.
effect:
1. Medicine and health food:
Phycocyanin in vitro experiments can stimulate erythropoiesis, similar to erythropoietin (EPO). A variety of phycocyanin compound drugs have been successfully developed abroad. The Japanese Kangpai AIDS Research Institute has reported that phycocyanin can improve anemia and improve hemoglobin. In 1982, Iijima et al. studied that oral administration of phycocyanin in mice improved the survival rate of mice injected with liver tumor cells, and the lymphocyte activity of mice in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. They believed that the protein had the functions of promoting immunity and anti-disease. In 1986, Schwartz and Shklar of Harvard Hospital found that spirulina phycocyanin had an inhibitory effect on some cancer cells.
2. Phycocyanin can help regulate and synthesize a variety of important enzymes required for human metabolism, and play an important role in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, promoting human cell regeneration, maintaining ovaries, and promoting the synthesis of elastin in the human body. Regulate the body's immune system, enhance the function of the immune system, and improve the body's resistance to disease. Therefore, phycocyanin is vividly known as "food diamond" by food experts. It has great effects in the following areas.
(1) Anti-cancer and anti-tumor.
Phycocyanin has been shown to inhibit cancer cell expansion. Scientists have found that phycocyanin has the function of significantly inhibiting cancer cells. Can be made into anti-tumor adjuvant therapy drugs, adjuvant therapy for chemotherapy can enhance the body's immunity. In a scientific experiment, rats with liver cancer were fed with extracted phycocyanin and found that the survival rate of rats fed with phycocyanin was much higher than that of the control group. After 5 weeks, 90% of the rats in the treatment group had Survived, while only 25% of the untreated group survived. After 8 weeks, 25% of the treated group survived, and the untreated group of rats died. This suggests that oral phycocyanin can improve the survival rate of organisms with cancer.
(2) Antioxidant and scavenging free radicals.
Phycocyanin can promote cell activity, scavenge free radicals in the body, improve ovarian function, and promote the rapid synthesis of elastin in the human body. According to scientific research, phycocyanin has the effect of stimulating the formation of erythrocyte colonies, similar to erythropoietin (epo); it can adjust white blood cells and improve the activity of lymphocytes; increase physical fitness, promote the growth of red blood cells, improve the immune function of the body, and promote growth development.
(3) Anti-allergic
The research team of National Taiwan University published new research results on January 7, and found that purified phycocyanin has inhibitory effect on all allergies.
