Deformed amphibians have been observed in eutrophic habitats, and some clues point to the retinoic acids (RAs) or RA mimics. However, RAs are generally thought of as vertebrate-specific hormones, and there was no evidence that RAs exist in cyanobacteria or algae blooms. By analyzing RAs and their analogs 4-oxo-RAs in natural cyanobacteria blooms and cultures of cyanobacteria and algae, we showe...

The significance of grazing and enrichment to the Pleasant Pond phytoplankton community was examined through a series of enclosure experiments. The addition of planktivorous fish led to the removal of large herbivores and to an order-of-magnitude increase in total phytoplankton biomass. This was a result of the appearance of several new algal species as well as the increase of most initial resi...

In late summer, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae form blooms in the open Baltic Sea. N. spumigena has caused several animal poisonings, but Baltic A. flos-aquae is not known to be toxic. In this laboratory study, performed with batch cultures, the influences of environmental conditions on the biomass and nitrogen fixation rate of N. spumigena and A....

Candida albicans is a dermal fungus of the human body that known to cause oral candidiasis, vaginal and bloodstream infections in immunocompromised people or certain environmental conditions. As cases strains resistant antifungal agents C. have been reported, studies using plant materials as safe are being actively conducted. In this study, total 17 edible extracts showed activity against resul...

E3Live BrainON is a concentrated, certified organic, aqua-botanical known as AFA (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae). E3Live BrainON is a naturally occurring food that is innately “supercharged” with phenylethylamine (PEA), also known as "The Love Molecule." This same compound is found in chocolate and thought to produce chocolate’s pleasurable effects on mood. E3Live BrainON contains approximately 50 t...

Flos Lonicerae Japonicae (FLJ) is an important cash crop in eastern Asia, and it is an anti-inflammatory Traditional Chinese Medicine. There are large variations in the quality of the marketed FLJ products. To find marker ingredients useful for quality control, a tandem technology integrating ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF), princ...

Blue-green algae (Spirulina sp., Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) and Chlorella sp. are commercially distributed as organic algae dietary supplements. Cyanobacterial dietary products in particular have raised serious concerns, as they appeared to be contaminated with toxins e.g. microcystins (MCs) and consumers repeatedly reported adverse health effects following consumption of these products. The aim...

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been proposed to prevent urolithiasis. In China, Flos carthami (FC, also known as Carthamus tinctorius) (Safflower; Chinese name: Hong Hua/) has been used to treat urological diseases for centuries. We previously performed a screening and confirmed the in vivo antilithic effect of FC extract. Here, ex vivo organ bath experiment was further performed to stu...

BACKGROUND Evidence for the scientific basis of purported therapeutic effects and adverse effects of herbal supplements continues to grow. Many herbal supplements are touted for their immunostimulatory properties, and both in vitro and in vivo experiments have supported this claim. Although this explains their beneficial effects in preventing or curtailing disease, to our knowledge, no immunost...