Spirulina platensis alleviates chronic inflammation with modulation of gut microbiota and intestinal permeability in rats fed a high‐fat diet

Abstract

Recent research suggested that taking a high‐fat diet (HFD) may lead to a gut microbiota imbalance and colon tissue damage. This would lead to increased intestinal permeability and consequent constant circulation of low‐grade inflammatory cytokines. Spirulina platensis can protect against HFD‐induced metabolic inflammation and can stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in in vitro stool cultures. However, it is unknown whether this beneficial effect acts on intestinal tissues. In this study, rats were fed a high‐fat diet fed with 3% S platensis for 14 weeks. We analysed endotoxin, the composition of the microbiota, inflammation and gut permeability. We found that S platensis decreased the bodyweight and visceral fat pads weight of the HFD‐fed rats. In addition, it lowered the levels of lipopolysaccharide and pro‐inflammatory cytokines in serum. Our results showed that S platensis could largely reduce the relative amount of Proteobacteria and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in faecal samples from HFD‐fed rats. S platensis significantly reduced intestinal inflammation, as shown by decreased expression of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4), NF‐κB (p65) and inflammatory cytokines. S platensis also ameliorated the increased permeability and decreased expression of tight junction proteins in the intestinal mucosa, such as ZO‐1, Occludin and Claudin‐1. Therefore, in HFD‐induced gut dysbiosis rats, S platensis benefits health by inhibiting chronic inflammation and gut dysbiosis, and modulating gut permeability.

Blue-Green Algae (Spirulina platensis) Alleviates the Negative Impact of Heat Stress on Broiler Production Performance and Redox Status

“…The low level of hemoglobin observed in heat-stressed chicken can be justified by the negative effect of heat exposure on ion absorption (i.e., iron), leading to a reduction in hemoglobin formation [ 58 ]. Further, the rich minerals content [ 59 ] as well as the modulation of intestinal integrity and permeability [ 60 ] that Spirulina supplementation presents directly modified the blood hemoglobin level. From these findings, it can be concluded that Spirulina supplementation to heat-stressed broilers helps recover the normal blood metabolite and hematological profile.…”

Spirulina Microalgae and Brain Health: A Scoping Review of Experimental and Clinical Evidence

“…Recent in vivo studies demonstrate that oral administration of spirulina once daily for 24 consecutive days altered the diversity, structure, and composition of the colonic microbial community at the genus level, including the relative abundance of Clostridium XIVa, Desulfovibrio, Eubacterium, Barnesiella, and Bacteroides, highlighting a dose-related modulation of the intestinal microbiota and physiological states by spirulina, which can be considered as a potential source of prebiotics for beneficial health effects through interaction with the intestinal microbiota [ 32 ]. Yu et al also demonstrated a microbiota-effect of Spirulina platensis on the relative amount of Proteobacteria and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in fecal samples from rats fed with HFD [ 35 ].…”

Phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis as Potential Anti-Cancer Drug: Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

“…Maximally applied AP doses of 30 g/day did not lead to any negative side effects [ 12 ]. The regular consumption of considerably lower AP dry mass (but also phycocyanin) was shown to reduce intestinal inflammation, to improve the permeability of the intestinal tissue, and to increase the diversity of the intestinal microbiota e.g., in high-fat-diet rats (e.g., 3 g of AP per day) but also in apparently healthy mice (e.g., 2.1 g of AP per day) [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”