The extract of Cuban Spirulina platenses, the most used microalga in Cuba, is the main compound of a new line of products created by a research group of the Institute of Pharmacy and Foods of the University of Havana.
The studies carried out by this group have proved the high protection these extracts can offer against anti-radicals as they are rich in carotenes and phycocyanins. Besides a considerable content of enzyme superoxide dismutase and vitamin E, elements which are part of the organism’s defensive system against radicals, they stimulate the immunological system and prevent cancer and rapid ageing.
Doctor Ivonne Almiral, main researcher of the project, asserts that this plant “has an antioxidant system which prevents the harmful action of radicals in dermis and epidermis”. After positioning in Cuban internal market and meeting populations needs, the new line of cosmetic products Shaman, produced with hydroalcoholic extracts of Cuban Spirulina platensis is opened to the international market. At present, the products of this line can be found in Bolivia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Peru and eventually there have been exports to countries such as Spain, Italy, France, Mexico and Martinique.