High concentrations of B12 in Coccolithophorid algae (Pleurochrysis carterae)

[Korn]

According to http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/pubfiles/adt-MU20050901.140745/02Whole.pdf, high concetrations of B12 is found in the Coccolithophorid algae, also called Pleurochrysis carterae: 0,0013% of dry cell weight. Hmmm... That would be 0.13g pr. 100g = 130 000 mcg, but this site (Characterization of a Vitamin B12 Compound from Unicellular Coccolithophorid Alga (Pleurochrysis carterae) (http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2001/49/i07/abs/jf0101556.html)) says that 100g Coccolithophorid Alga contains "only" circa 125 mcg B12 pr. 100 g dry cll weight, which is still a very high amount... equalling 500 times as much as Dr. Victor Herbert reckons that a human need to absorb (not consume) pr. day, and more than 50 times the amount of B12 that's considered the Recommended Daily Allowance in many countries (2.4 mcg/daily).

ETA - new link: http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/206/2/02Whole.pdf

[Korn]

More from
Characterization of a vitamin B12 compound from unicellular coccolithophorid alga (Pleurochrysiscarterae)
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11453796)
(PMID:11453796)



A unicellular coccolithophorid alga, Pleurochrysis carterae, contained 125.4 +/- 1.2 microg of vitamin B12 per 100 g dry cell weight of the lyophilized algal cells. A vitamin B12 compound was purified from the lyophilized algal cells and partially characterized. The silica gel 60 TLC and reversed-phase HPLC patterns of the purified pink-colored compound were identical to those of authentic vitamin B12, but not those of vitamin B12 analogues inactive for humans. When 22-week-old B12-deficient rats which excreted substantial amounts of methylmalonic acid (75.5 +/- 12.3 mg/day) in urine were fed the P. carterae (10 g per kg diet)-supplemented diet for 12 d, urinary methylmalonic acid excretion (as an index of vitamin B12 deficiency) of the rats became undetectable and hepatic vitamin B12 level of the rats was significantly increased.


And, from https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bbb/66/1/66_1_195/_pdf:


As the lyophilised algal cells also contain substantial amounts of biologically active vitamin B12 (B12 or CN-B12), they are suitable for use of human food supplement as a rich source of B12 as well as calcium.



And, from http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/content/232/10/1266.full

As bioavailability of the algal vitamin B12 is not clear in humans, my colleagues and I characterized corrinoid compounds to determine whether the dried purple and green lavers and eukaryotic microalgae (Chlorella sp. and Pleurochrysis carterae) used for human food supplements contain vitamin B12 or inactive corrinoids. My colleagues and I found that these edible algae contain a large amount of vitamin B12 without the presence of inactive corrinoids (54 (http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/content/232/10/1266.full#ref-54)–57 (http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/content/232/10/1266.full#ref-57)).