Having appeared on the surface of the earth more than three billion years ago, spirulina is one of the first living organisms to perform photosynthesis, meaning that it transforms solar energy into biochemical energy. This small blue-green alga, or cyanobacterium, is known today for its remarkable nutritional properties.

Since 1993, AlgoSource has cultivated its own spirulina biomass at the very first algofarm in France and, in 1997, the company became the first to obtain a patent for cold extraction, without using solvents or chemicals, of its liquid spirulina extract: SPIRULYSAT®.

What is Spirulysat®?

Spirulysat® is a food supplement packaged in drinkable vials of 2 ml, 5 ml, 10 ml or 15 ml, in a bottle, and in different concentrations of its main active molecule: phycocyanin.

What is phycocyanin?

Phycocyanin is a natural blue pigment and is also the main molecule contained in Spirulina. This fluorescent protein captures photons and then transforms their light energy into biological energy. It’s at the core of the cell’s energy processes and provides 10 times more energy than the other pigment in spirulina, chlorophyll.

How is Spirulysat® made?

Spirulysat® is a liquid extract made from fresh spirulina biomass. In addition to the quality of the spirulina, which must be irreproachable, the extraction process, done without synthetic solvents or chemicals, is an important step because it has a direct effect on the quality of the finished product. The extraction technique, followed by cold sterilization, means that the process does not expose the raw material, spirulina, to any rise in temperature. No “cooking” of the spirulina biomass alters the final quality of the product.

This patented technique allows bioactive molecules to be preserved in their native form, thus perfectly preserving their properties while fully respecting the product.

What bioactive molecules are found in Spirulysat®?

Spirulysat® contains the water-soluble fraction of spirulina: proteins, amino acids, enzymes, sugars, water-soluble vitamins, phycocyanin and mineral salts.

What are the advantages of the liquid form over the dry form?

The liquid form of Spirulysat® contributes to faster and digestible assimilation by the body. By separating the fluorescent blue pigment from the proteins without an increase in temperature, AlgoSource recovers and protects the intrinsic properties of spirulina.

A comparative experiment conducted between Spirulysat® in its standard, liquid form and the same lyophilized product made it possible to measure the impact of drying on phycocyanin. Spirulysat® has been shown to be fifty times more effective in its antioxidant action on SOD (measurement of the action on the superoxide ion) than its dried version.

The dry versions of spirulina (powder, filaments, tablets) are, therefore, structurally less effective than the liquid extract, Spirulysat®, which does not cause the product to undergo any heat treatment.

Do all phycocyanin-based food supplements offer the same benefits?

For reasons related to conservation, certain food supplements containing phycocyanin are integrated into a glycerine-based syrup – or sugars – of vegetable or even synthetic origin, which can be quite counter-productive in the search for an effect that contributes to better consumer health.

Furthermore, there’s a large international market for phycocyanin powder used as a blue food dye. Other products in liquid form, sold as food supplements, are also reintroducing powdered phycocyanin into their composition. However, these phycocyanin powders have undergone a rise in temperature to completely remove any water, which alters their functional potential. In addition, they contain, for more than half of their composition, trehalose, an ingredient of petrochemical origin known for its antioxidant properties. Thus, the antioxidant claim of these products is linked more to trehalose than to the phycocyanin present in small quantities in these powders.

What differentiates Spirulysat® from other food supplements claiming phycocyanin as a main benefit?

What differentiates Spirulysat® from other food supplements with phycocyanin is that Spirulysat® only contains phycocyanin, water and, in smaller quantities, spirulina polysaccharides. The extraction process patented by AlgoSource makes it possible to extract phycocyanin without deforming it, i.e., by retaining its initial so-called spatial structure.

As such, Spirulysat® is particularly titrated in phycocyanin of original quality, which gives it bioavailability and increased effectiveness.

Spirulysat® is an aqueous liquid extract of 100% natural origin, produced directly from fresh spirulina biomass, without synthetic solvents or chemicals. Spirulysat® is available in different concentrations of phycocyanin, without added dyes, sugars or preservatives.