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What is Micro Algae?
Algae are among the earth’s most important natural resources; in evolutionary terms algae have existed for 3.8 billion years. They are considered to be one of the first groups of organisms to colonize the earth and have a broad habitat range. In their natural environment they produce more than 60% of the oxygen on the planet through photosynthesis. Micro algae are extremely efficient solar energy converters and they can produce a great variety of metabolites; this capacity and their ubiquitous distribution have led to their exploitation by man for diverse range of purposes
The history of Micro Algae as a stable in human diet is unique; there is evidence that the Aztecs used biomass in the early sixteenth century. It was harvested from lakes in Mexico and made into small bricks that are eaten as cheese would be eaten today. Likewise, dried Micro Algae has been used as food by the Kanembu tribe on the shores of Lake Chad in Central Africa.
Micro Algae is a member of the cynabacteria (blue-green algae) family; it has a spiral multi-cellular, filamentous structure consisting of proteins and sugar and it contains no cellulose as commonly found in almost all-vegetable matter. All vitamins are found in Micro Algae. Not until the early 1980’s did the modern world turn its attention to the commercial cultivation of Arthrospira. Today Micro Algae is commercially cultivated in several of the leading countries in the world.
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Kingdom
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Monera (Prokaryotae)
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Morphological simple but metabolically complex and diverse organisms, the bacteria. Lack a nuclear membrane, and membrane-bound organelles absent – cell division through binary fission – cell simply pinches in two.
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Sub-kingdom
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Eubacteria
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‘True bacteria’ All bacteria that are not archaebacteria are Eubacteria.
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Division
(Phylum)
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Cyanobacteria
(Cynophyta Cyanophytes)
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Photoautorophic bacteria, photoynthesize, but lack chloroplasts. The product of photothesis is glycogen and oxygen released. The cells have no flagellia or any other type of locomotor organelle. Thylakoids (photosynthetic membranes) are not arranged in stacks. Chlorophyll a, d; blue and red Phycobilins, β-carotene, and xanthophylls; storage product, cynophycean starch; The cell wall is a complex, four-layered structure (consisting of mucopeptides, amino sugars, amino acids and proteins). Gram-negative cell walls ~2 500 described species.
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Class
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Cyanophyceae
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Single class in Cyanobacteria; Unicellular or multicellular algae without a true nucleus or chromatophore. Sexual reproduction not known or absent.
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Order
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Nostocales
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Filamentous, with filament and trichome organization, hormogones present; heterocysts, akinetes, endospores, hormocysts present; true branching absent, false branching present.
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Family
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Oscillatoriaceae
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Filamentous (un-branched); producing hormogonia, many showing a spiral movement by rotation along the longitudinal axis; binary fission; no specialized cells, heterocysts and spores absent; ~1 000 species.
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Genus
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Arthrospira
(Spirulina)
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Trichomes (filaments) multicellular, cylindrical, without sheath, loosely and regularly coiled (spiralled), usually comparatively short and fewer coils; cross-walls distinct, apices slightly or not all tapering, terminal cell rounded, calyptra absent.
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Species
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Platensis
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Thallus blue-green; trichomes slightly constructed at the cross-walls, 6-8mm broad, not attenuated at the ends or only a little attenuated, more or less regularly spirally coiled; spirals 26-36mm broad, distances between the spirals 43-57 mm; cells nearly as long broad, or shorter than broad, 2-6mm long, cross-walls granulated; end-cells broadly rounded.
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General:
• No cellulose in cell walls, thus easily digestible (digestibility, 83%)
• Free of starch
• Sugar mainly rhamnose, a type of sugar that does not require insulin for metabolism
• Glucose, fructose and sucrose only in very small quantities
• Glycerol, maaitol and sorbitol also occur
• Polymers; Glucosamine (1.9%) rhamnosamine (9.7%) and Glycogen (0.5%)
• Algae oils are cholesterol free
When you combine sorghum and micro algae you create a super food
GEVA Micro algae powder – Typical analyses report
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Physical Properties (spray-dried biomass)
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Composition
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100 % Arthrospira– no fillers
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Appearance
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Fine powder
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Colour
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Dark green
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Odour & Taste
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Mild, resembling sea vegetables
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Density
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0.5 kg/L
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Particle size
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10 - 25 µm in diameter
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Overall chemical composition
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Protein
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65 – 70 %
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Carbohydrates
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15 – 20 %
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Pigments
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10 – 15 %
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Minerals
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7 – 13 %
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Lipids (fatty acids)
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6 – 9 %
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Crude fibre
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5 – 8 %
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Moisture
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4 – 6 %
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Vitamins
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3 – 4 %
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Cholesterol
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0 %
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Energy
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16 J/g (3.8 cal/g)
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Pigments
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Colour
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Per 10 grams
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Allophycocyanin
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Blue-green
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20 mg
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Carotenoids (80 % Beta-carotene)
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Orange
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40 mg
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Chlorophyll-a
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Green
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75 mg
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Phycocyanin
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Blue
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1 200 mg
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Phycoerythrin
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Red
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100 mg
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Xanthophylls
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Yellow
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20 mg
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Minerals
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Per 10 gram
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Calcium (Ca)
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60 mg
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Chloride (Cl)
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40 mg
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Chromium (Cr)
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25 µg
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Cobalt (Co)
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2.5 µg
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Copper (Cu)
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100 µg
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Germanium (Ge)
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50 µg
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Iron (Fe)
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8 mg
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Magnesium (Mg)
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20 mg
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Manganese (Mn)
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0.25 mg
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Phosphorus (P)
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80 mg
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Potassium (K)
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140 mg
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Selenium (Se)
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12 µg
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Sodium (Na)
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40 mg
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Sulphur (S)
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20 mg
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Zinc (Zn)
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0.30 mg
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Vitamins
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Per 10 g
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Vitamin A (Retinol)
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3.6 mg
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Beta-carotene (Pro-vitamin A)
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15 mg
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Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
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0.50 mg
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Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
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0.40 mg
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Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
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50 µg
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Vitamin B8 (Inositol)
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4 mg
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Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)
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5 µg
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Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
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0.5 mg
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Vitamin D (Calciferol)
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10 µg
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Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
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1.8 mg
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Vitamin K (Phylloquinone)
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200 µg
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Biotin (Vitamin B7)
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3.0 µg
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Folate (Folic acid) (Vitamin B9)
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5 µg
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Niacin (Vitamin B3)
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1.4 mg
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Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)
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0.10 mg
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Essential amino acids (All 8)
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Per 10 g
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% total
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Isoleucine
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340 mg
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5.6 %
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Leucine
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525 mg
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8.6 %
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Lysine
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300 mg
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4.9 %
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Phenylalanine
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285 mg
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4.6 %
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Methionine
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130 mg
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2.1 %
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Threonine
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310 mg
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5.1 %
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Tryptophan
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95 mg
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1.5 %
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Valine
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380 mg
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6.2 %
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Non-essential amino acid (10 of 12)
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Per 10 g
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% total
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Alanine
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470 mg
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7.7 %
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Arginine
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430 mg
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7.0 %
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Aspartic acid
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600 mg
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10.0 %
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Cystine
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65 mg
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1.1 %
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Glutamine acid
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880 mg
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14.6 %
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Glycine
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320 mg
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5.3 %
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Histidine
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100 mg
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1.7 %
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Proline
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260 mg
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4.3 %
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Serine
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320 mg
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5.2 %
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Tyrosine
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280 mg
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4.6 %
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Lipids (fatty acids)
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Per 10 gram
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% of lipids
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Alpha (a)- linolenic acid (C18)*
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0.7 mg
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0.16 %
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Eicosadienoic (C20) (n-6)
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1.4 mg
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0.31 %
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Eicosatrienoic (C20) (n-3)*
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1.5 mg
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0.33 %
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Gamma (g)- Linolenic acid (C18)
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100 mg
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22 %
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Glycolipids
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20 mg
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4.4 %
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Lauric acid (C12)
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3.5 mg
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0.77 %
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Linoleic (C18: 2 omega 6)
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95 mg
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21 %
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Myristic acid (C14)
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0.6 mg
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0.14 %
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Myristoleic (C14)
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3.7 mg
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0.82 %
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Nervonic acid (C24)
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1.6 mg
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0.35 %
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Oleic acid (C18)
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12 mg
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2.6 %
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Palmitic acid (C16)
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180 mg
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40 %
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Palmitoleic acid (C16)
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25 mg
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5.5 %
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Pentadecenoic (C15)
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4.2 mg
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0.93 %
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Stearic acid (C18)
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7.8 mg
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1.7 %
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Sulfolipids
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10 mg
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2.2 %
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Tridecanoic acid (C13)
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5.4 mg
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1.2 %
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Vaccenic acid (C18)
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2.7 mg
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0.6 %
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Non-identifiable fatty acids
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50 mg
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11 %
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Total saturated fatty acids
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197 mg
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43 %
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Total mono-unsaturated f. a.
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50 mg
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11 %
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Total poly-unsaturated f. a.
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200 mg
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43.8 %
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Total omega-6 (n-6)
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195 mg
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42.7 %
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*Total omega-3 (n-3)
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2.2 mg
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0.5 %
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