What this work is about, in plain words
Mice were given a suspension and an extract of the marine cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya cf. ectocarpi grown under low and high light. According to the authors, the metabolic shifts depended both on the light and on the number of administrations.
Cyanobacteria are a source of proteins, pigments and other valuable substances, but some of them produce toxins. So before biomass is used, one needs to know how it affects the body. The authors tested this for the marine benthic cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya cf. ectocarpi.
The biomass was grown at the facilities of sole proprietor T. A. Nevskaya under two light regimes, low and high. Under low light the biomass was brownish-green, under high light orange: the set of phycobiliprotein pigments changed. Female C57BL/6 mice received the biomass suspension into the stomach for 5 or 10 days (6 animals per period) and the extract for 5 days (3 animals); the control was 3 untreated mice. Blood proteins, urea, uric acid, lipids, lipoproteins, glucose and liver enzymes were measured.
According to the authors, the suspension grown under high light increased total protein and albumin. Lipoproteins fell in almost all groups, and glucose did not change. The suspension grown under low light increased the liver enzyme ALT, and after 10 administrations also AST; the effect of the extract on the enzymes went in different directions. The authors believe that the light conditions of the culture affect its set of active substances and note that further studies of different doses are needed.
Limitations. Very small groups (3–6 mice). A study in mice; the conclusions do not carry over to humans. The explanation was written from the manuscript of the article; the published version may contain changes.