Immulina™ Spirulina Extract by Chromadex

Published Clinical Research

Enhancement of Natural Killer Cell Activity in Healthy Subjects by Immulina®, a Spirulina Extract Enriched for Braun-Type Lipoproteins , Click here for an in-depth look at the study

Immulina®, a commercial extract of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis is a potent activator of THP-1 monocytes and CD4+ T cells in vitro and enhances several immunological functions in mice. We fur- ther characterized Immulina® by determining that Braun-type lipoproteins are responsible for a major portion of the in vitro monocyte activation exhibited by this material. In order to understand the effect of Immulina® on NK cell activity, a pilot study was conducted on ten healthy North Amer- ican individuals who supplemented their diet with Immulina® (400 mg/day) for seven days.

ABSTRACT: We observed a 40% average increase in the killing of K562 tumor cells by NK cells (p < 0.01) after Im- mulina® supplementation. In a separate placebo- controlled, crossover study involving 11 healthy Danish subjects, we observed increased mRNA expression of the NK cell marker NKG2D by 37% (p = 0.02) and by 55 % (p = 0.0003) after administration of Immulina® (200 mg and 400 mg per day, respectively) for seven days. The mRNA ex- pression of the NK- and T-cell marker perforin increased by 75 % (p = 0.008) after administration of 400 mg Immulina® per day. Both markers dis- played significant dose-dependent effects (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.02, respectively). The ratio between CD56bright and CD56dim NK cells was not affected by Immulina® administration. In sum- mary, two independent studies showed enhance- ment of NK cell activity following administration of Immulina® for seven days.

Enhancement of Human Adaptive Immune Responses by Administration of a High-Molecular-Weight Polysaccharide Extract from the Cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis, click here for an in-depth look at the study

ABSTRACT: The effect of consumption of Immulina®,, a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide extract from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis, on adaptive immune responses was investigated by evaluation of changes in leukocyte responsiveness to two foreign recall antigens, Candida albicans (CA) and tetanus toxoid (TT), in vitro. Consumption of Immulina®, by 11 healthy male volunteers caused an immediate, but temporary, increase of CA-induced CD4+ T-helper (Th) cell pro- liferation (P < .02). TT-induced Th cell proliferation was increased in individuals over 50 years of age (P < .05) and correlated with age (P < .02). Consumption for 8 days enhanced the CA-induced B cell proliferation (P < .02), but after 56 days a diminution was seen (P < .03). Upon addition to normal mononuclear cells in vitro, Immulina® elicited strong TNF-å, IL-1B, and IL-6 responses, indicating that it acts by inducing a pro-inflammatory state. Taken together, the data suggest that Immulina® an age-dependent, temporary enhancement of adaptive immune responses.