Increasing microalgae carbohydrate content through nutrient limitation has been regarded as a potential strategy to optimize bioethanol production. This study assessed three different media in which nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur concentration was decreased by 10-fold with regard the control media. The performance of two robust microalgae, namely Chlorella vulgaris Scenedesmus sp., were evalua...

A bacteria-free monoxenic culture of Paramecium bursaria has been established. Chlorogonium elongatum was used as the sole food source and large numbers of easily maintained P. bursaria were obtained. Additional enhancement of the growth of P. bursaria was achieved by supplementing the culture medium with soybean lecithin. The ability of monoxenically cultured P. bursaria to re-establish its sy...

BACKGROUND Chlorella, a unicellular green alga that grows in fresh water, contains high levels of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers. Some studies have reported favorable immune function-related effects on biological secretions such as blood and breast milk in humans who have ingested a chlorella-derived multicomponent supplement. However, the effects of chlorella-derived suppleme...

The ciliate Paramecium bursaria living in mutualistic relationship with the unicellular green alga Chlorella is known to be easily infected by various potential symbionts/parasites such as bacteria, yeasts and other algae. Permanent symbiosis, however, seems to be restricted to Chlorella taxa. To test the specificity of this association, we designed infection experiments with two aposymbiotic P...

In order to clarify the physiological effects of Chlorella intake on subjects with high-risk factors for lifestyle-related diseases, we conducted Chlorella ingestion tests on 17 subjects with high-risk factors for lifestyle-related diseases and 17 healthy subjects over a 16-week period, including a 4-week post-observation period. We conducted blood biochemical tests and analyzed gene expression...