title: Cryopreservation of the edible alkalophilic cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis.
abstract: Efficient cryopreservation conditions for the edible alkalophilic cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis were investigated using a model strain A. platensis NIES-39. As a result, it was found that more than 60% of cells were viable upon thawing, when they had been frozen at a cooling rate of approximately -1 °C min(-1) in the presence of 10% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide. Further examination with other Arthrospira strains showed that many of them had strain-dependent optimal conditions for cryopreservation. For example, the best freezing conditions for A. platensis SAG 21.99 were snap-freezing in liquid nitrogen in the presence of 5% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide, while they were slow cooling at approximately -1 °C min(-1) in the presence of 10% (v/v) methanol for A. platensis NIES-46, NIES-2308 and UTEX 1926. The variety of successful cryopreservation conditions presented in this study is useful when attempting to cryopreserve various Arthrospira strains.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies , Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D013045:Species Specificity; D053545:Spirulina / Q000166:cytology*
keywords: Arthrospira platensis; cryopreservation; cyanobacteria; dietary supplements; spirulina