Characterization of a corrinoid compound in the edible (blue-green) alga, Suizenji-nori

Abstract

The edible blue-green alga (cyanobacterium), Suizenji-nori, contained 143:8 ± 22:4 μg of vitamin B12 per 100 g dry weight of the alga (mean ± SE, n = 4). A corrinoid compound was purified from the dried Suizenji-nori, and partially characterized. The silica gel 60 TLC and reversed-phase HPLC patterns of the purified corrinoid compound were not identical to those of true vitamin B12, but to those of pseudovitamin B12 which is inactive for humans.