Effect of spirulina food supplement on blood morphological parameters, biochemical composition and on the immune function of sportsmen

Abstract

Abstract. Of highest biological value are natural concentrates of optimally combined substances produced by nature. One of food supplements of this kind is dietary Spirulina produced by the Tianshi firm (China). It is a most rationally balanced food supplement of a high biological value; it satisfies the needs of the whole body, including its immune system. The aim of the current work was to assess the effect of the multicomponent natural food supplement Spirulina on the physical development, blood morphological, biochemical picture and immune function of sportsmen. Materials and Methods: The study cohort comprised 12 high performance sportsmen (age 20-22 years). They were using tablets of Spirulina, a dietary product for 14 days. Physical development was determined with the aid of standard methods. The general blood picture was analyzed with the aid of a Micros-60 hematological analyzer (company ABX DIAGNOSTICS, France). Lymphocytes and their subsets were analysed by flow cytometery

Spirulina supplementation improves oxygen uptake in arm cycling exercise

“…However, blood flow per unit muscle mass is higher during arm cycling exercise than during leg cycling exercise at the same relative VO 2 (Koppo et al 2002 ). Considering that previous research has highlighted the effectiveness of SP on blood morphological parameters (Kelkar et al 2008 ; Milasius et al 2009 ; Selmi et al 2011 ), the positive changes could be more influential for athletes using only their upper body for exercise. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether a one-week supplementation period using 6 g/day dosage of SP could elicit an ergogenic effect on upper body cycling exercise.…”

“…Spirulina (SP) is known for its multicomponent properties which include high levels of micronutrients, proteins, vitamins and minerals (Kalafati et al 2010 ). Initial investigations using SP have predominantly been within a clinical health remit, such as improving blood morphological parameters and immune function (Kelkar et al 2008 ; Milasius et al 2009 ; Selmi et al 2011 ). However recently, there has been more focus on SP’s antioxidant potential when comparing exercise-induced oxidative stress markers (Lu et al 2006 ; Kalafati et al 2010 ; Kalpana et al 2017 ; Hernández-Lepe et al 2018 ; Franca 2010 ), with the consensus attributing the constituents of SP to the activation of cellular antioxidant enzymes, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and free radicals, whilst also increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase (Wu et al 2016 ).…”

Effect of Moringa oleifera Leaves Extract Against Hematology and Blood Biochemical Value of Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia

“…Consumption of milk or cheese (equivalent to 165 mg of calcium) to reduce the absorption of iron, respectively by 57% and 46%. 24 Phytic acid (myoinositol hexaphosphate) is found in whole-grain cereals, nuts and seeds, soy protein (such as tofu and tempeh) have been proved to be inhibitors of iron absorption of non-heme 10 . The addition of 2 mg, 25 mg and 250 mg of phytate phosphorus (P-phytate) into bread significantly reduced iron absorption respectively 18%, 64% and 82%.…”

“…9 Spirulina is blue algae from marine natural products that contain the highest protein and iron. 10 In 1 tablet (500 mg) spirulina contains 0.9 to 3 mg of iron and 300 mg protein/ tablet. Compared to cinnamon leaf and spinach, moringa leaves have a protein content almost twice and four times higher than that cinnamon leaf and spinach, iron in moringa leaves is four times higher than spinach and five times higher than cinnamon leaf while the vitamin C of moringa leaves are 12 times higher than cinnamon leaf and 15 times higher than spinach.…”

Bioethical considerations for algal biotechnology

“…Here we ought to stress that the food supplement industry is well developed and dates back to the 1960s, starting in Japan, USA, Taiwan, Australia, and China [16] . It is well known, for example, that Spirulina as a food supplement contains a variable combination of substances, including ones that are absent in common food, and dry biomass of this alga has 60-70% protein, 10-20% carbohydrates, 1-14% lipids, 4% nucleic acids and 4-6% minerals [17] . The high protein content is well-balanced in amino acids and this alga is also a source of beta carotene and iron, and it is thought to be the world's richest natural source of vitamin B-12 and essential fatty acids [18] .…”