What is phycocyanin?

A powerful but fragile asset

Phycocyanin is a naturally blue pigment found in the heart of spirulina. It is sometimes referred to as “blue spirulina” or “the blue gold of spirulina”.
But phycocyanin is not just a color: it is also and above all a bioactive protein, considered the key functional molecule of spirulina, particularly for its antioxidant role and its contribution to the protection of cells against oxidative stress.

Phycocyanin is as powerful as it is fragile. When subjected to overly aggressive processes—heat, oxidation, drying, or freeze-drying—it quickly loses its functionality. This is why Algosource extracts it using a cold, water-based process.

When choosing a product, the challenge is therefore not just “to have phycocyanin”, but to obtain a phycocyanin that remains fully active, that is to say, whose native structure (in particular its quaternary structure) is preserved because its biological effectiveness depends on this.

Phycocyanin is the key active ingredient in liquid spirulina. The clinically demonstrated functional efficacy of Algosource products stems from its patented extraction method and its interaction with polysaccharides – the sugars of spirulina – which are also preserved in the processing.

The secrets to the effectiveness of Algosource's phycocyanin

From cultivation to finished product, mastery of the entire value chain

A high-performance liquid spirulina extract isn't simply "made" at the extraction stage; it's prepared from the very beginning of cultivation. Algosource produces biomass using a cultivation method that differs from those selling dried whole spirulina. While the latter focus on increasing volume, Algosource prioritizes phycocyanin concentration in the biomass, reduces input quantities, and minimizes the number of harvests to obtain the best raw material for extraction. This expertise is built on three decades of experience with microalgae.

Why do we prefer the liquid form?

Because a gentle, cold, water-based extraction, followed by storage in liquid form, preserves the original molecular structure of phycocyanin. This is why the Algosource teams developed a patented bio-extraction process that uses neither heat nor chemicals and prevents the denaturation of this molecule. This allows for the production of truly functional phycocyanin.

Algosource's approach is not marketing ; it is based on clinical demonstration. Thanks to this unique process, Algosource was able to conduct the only double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial ever carried out on a liquid spirulina extract in humans, demonstrating its antioxidant and metabolism-regulating activity.