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The following article I published on my Yahoo site Nat_anti_hiv.

Spirulina appears to:

Be a potent anti-viral

Inhibits syncytium formation

I can get Spirulina at my local wholesale vitamin seller (Golden Glow). The cost is $16.15 (Australian) for 100 one gram tablets. I don't know what the dosage is again, but I just use the dosage recommended on the label - 2 tablets per serving.

An aqueous extract of the blue-green filamentous algae Arthrospira platensis (previously called Spirulina platensis) inhibited HIV-1 replication in human T-cell

lines, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and Langerhans cells (LC).

These data indicate that Ca-SP is a potent antiviral agent against both HIV-1 and HSV-1. Furthermore, Ca-SP is quite promising as an anti-HIV agent because even at low concentrations of Ca-SP an enhancement of virus-induced syncytium formation was not observed, as was observed in DS-treated cultures, Ca-SP had very low anticoagulant activity, and showed a much longer half-life in the blood of mice when compared with that of DS.

It was revealed that Ca-SP (calcium spirulan) selectively inhibited the penetration of virus nto host cells.

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J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol 1998 May 1;18(1):7-12

Inhibition of HIV-1 replication by an aqueous extract of Spirulina platensis (Arthrospira

platensis).

Ayehunie S, Belay A, Baba TW, Ruprecht RM

Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

An aqueous extract of the blue-green filamentous algae Arthrospira platensis (previously called Spirulina platensis) inhibited HIV-1 replication in human T-cell

lines, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and Langerhans cells (LC). Extract concentrations ranging between 0.3 and 1.2 microg/ml reduced viral

production by approximately 50% (50% effective concentration [EC50]) in PBMCs. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of extract for PBMC growth

ranged between 0.8 and 3.1 mg/ml. Depending on the cell type used, therapeutic indices ranged between 200 and 6000. The extract inactivated HIV-1 infectivity

directly when preincubated with virus before addition to human T-cell lines. Fractionation of the extract revealed antiviral activity in the polysaccharide fraction

and also in a fraction depleted of polysaccharides and tannins. We conclude that aqueous A platensis extracts contain antiretroviral activity that may be of

potential clinical interest.

PMID: 9593452, UI: 98254284

Key Sentence:

An aqueous extract of the blue-green filamentous algae Arthrospira platensis (previously called Spirulina platensis) inhibited HIV-1 replication in human T-cell

lines, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and Langerhans cells (LC).

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AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 1996 Oct 10;12(15):1463-71

A natural sulfated polysaccharide, calcium spirulan, isolated from Spirulina platensis: in vitro

and ex vivo evaluation of anti-herpes simplex virus and anti-human immunodeficiency virus

activities.

Hayashi K, Hayashi T, Kojima I

Department of Virology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.

A sulfated polysaccharide named calcium spirulan (Ca-SP) has been isolated from a sea alga, Spirulina platensis, as an antiviral component. The anti-human

immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and anti-herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) activities of Ca-SP were compared with those of dextran sulfate (DS) as a

representative sulfated polysaccharide. Anti-HIV-1 activities of these agents were measured by three different assays: viability of acutely infected CD4-positive

cells, or a cytopathology assay; determination of HIV-1 p24 antigen released into culture supernatants; and inhibition of HIV-induced syncytium formation.

Anti-HSV-1 activity was assessed by plaque yield reduction. In addition, their effects on the blood coagulation processes and stability in the blood were

evaluated. These data indicate that Ca-SP is a potent antiviral agent against both HIV-1 and HSV-1. Furthermore, Ca-SP is quite promising as an anti-HIV agent

because even at low concentrations of Ca-SP an enhancement of virus-induced syncytium formation was not observed, as was observed in DS-treated cultures,

Ca-SP had very low anticoagulant activity, and showed a much longer half-life in the blood of mice when compared with that of DS. Thus, Ca-SP can be a

candidate agent for an anti-HIV therapeutic drug that might overcome the disadvantages observed in many sulfated polysaccharides. When the role of chelation of

calcium ion with sulfate groups was examined by removing calcium or its replacement by sodium, the presence of calcium ion in the molecule was shown to be

essential for the dose-dependent inhibition of cytopathic effect and syncytium formation induced by HIV-1.

PMID: 8893054, UI: 97048218

Key Sentence:

These data indicate that Ca-SP is a potent antiviral agent against both HIV-1 and HSV-1. Furthermore, Ca-SP is quite promising as an anti-HIV agent because even at low concentrations of Ca-SP an enhancement of virus-induced syncytium formation was not observed, as was observed in DS-treated cultures, Ca-SP had very low anticoagulant activity, and showed a much longer half-life in the blood of mice when compared with that of DS.

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J Nat Prod 1996 Jan;59(1):83-7

Calcium spirulan, an inhibitor of enveloped virus replication, from a blue-green alga Spirulina

platensis.

Hayashi T, Hayashi K, Maeda M, Kojima I

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and School of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama, Japan.

Bioactivity-directed fractionation of a hot H2O extract from a blue-green alga Spirulina platensis led to the isolation of a novel sulfated polysaccharide named

calcium spirulan (Ca-SP) as an antiviral principle. This polysaccharide was composed of rhamnose, ribose, mannose, fructose, galactose, xylose, glucose,

glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, sulfate, and calcium. Ca-SP was found to inhibit the replication of several enveloped viruses, including Herpes simplex virus

type 1, human cytomegalovirus, measles virus, mumps virus, influenza A virus, and HIV-1. It was revealed that Ca-SP selectively inhibited the penetration of virus

into host cells. Retention of molecular conformation by chelation of calcium ion with sulfate groups was suggested to be indispensable to its antiviral effect.

PMID: 8984158, UI: 96275159

Key Sentence:

It was revealed that Ca-SP (calcium spirulan) selectively inhibited the penetration of virus nto host cells.