Multi-particle collision dynamics is an appealing numerical technique aiming at simulating fluids at the mesoscopic scale. It considers molecular details in a coarse-grained fashion and reproduces hydrodynamic phenomena. Here, the implementation of multi-particle collision dynamics for isotropic fluids is analysed under the so-called Andersen-thermostatted scheme, a particular algorithm for systems in the canonical ensemble. This method gives rise to hydrodynamic fluctuations that spontaneously relax towards equilibrium. This relaxation process can be described by a linearized theory and used to calculate transport coefficients of the system. The extension of the algorithm for nematic liquid crystals is also considered. It is shown that thermal fluctuations in the average molecular orientation can be described by an extended linearized scheme. Flow fluctuations induce orientation fluctuations. However, orientational changes produce observable effects on velocity correlation functions only when simulation parameters exceed their values from those used in previous applications of the method. Otherwise, the flow can be considered to be independent of the orientation field. and energy. This property allows MPCD to recover, over long simulation times, the hydrodynamic equations of mass, momentum, and heat propagation. In addition, the stochastic character of MPCD produces fluctuations and Brownian forces [7,8].A considerable number of soft condensed matter systems have been successfully simulated under MPCD schemes. Recent examples include sediment-water interface flow [9], bistable biochemical systems [10], and two-dimensional one-component plasma [11], to mention but a few. Furthermore, modified MPCD rules have been used to extend simulations towards complex solvents, e.g., viscoelastic fluids [12] and binary mixtures [13]. Very recently, algorithms for simulating nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) using the principles of MPCD have been also proposed [14,15]. They allow one to reproduce hydrodynamic and elastic characteristics of such phases, still being potentially able to be coupled with microscopic degrees of freedom. These algorithms simulate isotropic-nematic phase transitions, consistent dynamics for annihilation of defects, and molecular reorientation under flow.Here, basic implementations of MPCD for simple liquids and NLCs are considered. Simulations for equilibrium states are presented, where systems are in contact with the thermal bath based on an Andersen thermostat that keeps them at a fixed temperature. In order to exhibit the ability of MPCD to reproduce hydrodynamic behaviour and to emphasise its stochastic character, attention is focused on the analysis of the spectra of hydrodynamic fluctuations produced by the algorithm in both simple liquids and nematics. There is discussed a very good agreement that exists between correlation functions obtained from the numerical implementation with those derived from linearized hydrodynamic models of liquids and LCs. Following the MPCD model for nematics (MPCD-N) i...