title: Characterization and Quantitation of Vitamin B12Compounds in Various Chlorella Supplements.
abstract: Vitamin B12was determined and characterized in 19 dried Chlorella health supplements. Vitamin contents of dried Chlorella cells varied from <0.1 μg to approximately 415 μg per 100 g of dry weight. Subsequent liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analyses showed the presence of inactive corrinoid compounds, a cobalt-free corrinoid, and 5-methoxybenzimidazolyl cyanocobamide (factor IIIm) in four and three high vitamin B12-containing Chlorella tablets, respectively. In four Chlorella tablet types with high and moderate vitamin B12contents, the coenzyme forms of vitamin B125'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (approximately 32%) and methylcobalamin (approximately 8%) were considerably present, whereas the unnaturally occurring corrinoid cyanocobalamin was present at the lowest concentrations. The species Chlorella sorokiniana (formerly Chlorella pyrenoidosa) is commonly used in dietary supplements and did not show an absolute requirement of vitamin B12for growth despite vitamin B12uptake from the medium being observed. In further experiments, vitamin B12-dependent methylmalonyl-CoA mutase and methionine synthase activities were detected in cell homogenates. In particular, methionine synthase activity was significantly increased following the addition of vitamin B12to the medium. These results suggest that vitamin B12contents of Chlorella tablets reflect the presence of vitamin B12-generating organic ingredients in the medium or the concomitant growth of vitamin B12-synthesizing bacteria under open culture conditions.
authors: Faculty of Agriculture, School of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Sciences, Tottori University , Tottori 680-8553 Japan.
authors: Tomohiro
authors: T
authors: Bito
authors: Faculty of Agriculture, School of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Sciences, Tottori University , Tottori 680-8553 Japan.
authors: Mariko
authors: M
authors: Bito
authors: Faculty of Agriculture, School of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Sciences, Tottori University , Tottori 680-8553 Japan.
authors: Yusuke
authors: Y
authors: Asai
authors: Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University , Osaka 598-8531 Japan.
authors: Shigeo
authors: S
authors: Takenaka
authors: Faculty of Agriculture, School of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Sciences, Tottori University , Tottori 680-8553 Japan.
authors: Yukinori
authors: Y
authors: Yabuta
authors: Faculty of Agriculture, School of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Sciences, Tottori University , Tottori 680-8553 Japan.
authors: Kazunori
authors: K
authors: Tago
authors: Sun Chlorella Corporation , Kyoto 600-8177 Japan.
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Ohnishi
authors: Sun Chlorella Corporation , Kyoto 600-8177 Japan.
authors: Toru
authors: T
authors: Mizoguchi
authors: Faculty of Agriculture, School of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Sciences, Tottori University , Tottori 680-8553 Japan.
authors: Fumio
authors: F
authors: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D002708:Chlorella / Q000737:chemistry*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis*; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D014803:Vitamin B Complex
keywords: Chlorella sorokiniana; Chlorella tablets; vitamin B12