BACKGROUND In vitro and animal studies have demonstrated that Chlorella is a potent biological response modifier on immunity. However, there were no direct evidences for the effect of Chlorella supplementation on immune/inflammation response in healthy humans. METHODS This study was designed for an 8-week randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial: 5g of Chlorella (n=23) or Placebo ...

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), is one of the major environmental pollutants that causes mutagenesis and cancer. BaP has been shown to accumulate in phytoplankton and zooplankton. We have studied the localization and aggregation of BaP in Chlorella sp., a microalga that is one of the primary producers in the food chain, using fluorescence confocal microscopy and f...

Endosymbiotic bacteria have been reported with extraordinary reduced genome in numerous cases. Many endosymbiotic green algae also show extreme genomic reduction of their nuclear genomes, but they may retain a fully functional plastid genome if they maintain photosynthetic ability or if they can survive outside of their host. In order to better understand how the endosymbiotic lifestyle has aff...

The inhibition of photosynthesis by O(2) in air-grown Chlorella pyrenoidosa was investigated using three experimental techniques (artificial leaf, aqueous method, and O(2) electrode) to measure carbon assimilation. CO(2) response curves were determined under different O(2), pH, and temperature conditions. Regardless of the experimental technique and condition, O(2) inhibition was not evident un...

In addition to meeting nutritional requirements, breast milk plays important roles in biodefense for nursing infants. Dioxins have been detected at high concentrations in breast milk, raising concerns about disorders in nursing infants caused by breast milk containing dioxins in Japan. We analyzed dioxin levels in breast milk and maternal blood samples from 35 pregnant women in Japan. We also m...

Increasing evidence shows that eukaryotic microalgae and, in particular, the green microalga Chlorella, can be used as natural sources to obtain a whole variety of compounds, such as omega (ω)-3 and ω-6 polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFAs). Although either beneficial or toxic effects of Chlorella sorokiniana have been mainly attributed to its specific ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs content, the underlying mole...