Phycocyanin is a water-soluble blue pigment found only
in Spirulina and other species of blue-green microalgae.
Phycocyanin is a potent antioxidant and possesses significant
immune enhancing and anti-viral properties. Early
work done in Japan on phycocyanin’s anti-viral properties
will be discussed later; a more recent study from
Japan found a potent immunostimulatory effect and a
reduction of allergic inflammation in rodents given phycocyanin.
Results indicated an increase in resistance to
infectious diseases and a significant effect on
immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. The researchers concluded
that phycocyanin enhances biological defense
activity against infectious diseases through sustaining
functions of the mucosal immune system and reduces
allergic inflammation by the suppression of antigen-specific
IgE antibody (14).