Detection of Secondary Metabolites, Proximate Composition and Bioactivity of Organic Dried Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis)

Abstract

In this work, Arthrospira platensis grown in Tuscany, Italy, was investigated using different analytical approaches to characterize its volatile and non-volatile chemical composition. The results showed the presence of a high number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as hydrocarbons, furans, sulfides, alkanes, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, esters and compounds belonging to other chemical classes such as fatty acids, alcohols and sugars. Furthermore, a proximal composition analysis was also performed to determine the protein, fat, carbohydrate and ash content. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) determined by FRAP and ABTS•+ methods (5.96 mmol TE/g DW; 5.28 mmol Fe2+E/g DW, respectively), showed good reducing power and comparable free radical scavenging activity. The antibacterial power of spirulina-based alcoholic macerate (AM) was also evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 060127853), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29211), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 700603) and Candida albicans (ATCC 24433) and the obtained data have shown that it had no effect against pathogenic bacterial strains. On the contrary, at low concentrations, AM exerted a prebiotic effect on some probiotic strains such as L. casei if treated with AM concentrations ranging from 1.56% v/v and 3.12% v/v and L. rhamnosus if treated with AM concentrations lower than 0.78% v/v. In conclusion, this study highlighted how spirulina, based on the rich composition and its antioxidant and prebiotic effect, can represent a source of beneficial substances for human health.

Metabolomic Profile of Arthrospira platensis from a Bulgarian Bioreactor—A Potential Opportunity for Inclusion in Dietary Supplements

“…This content significantly differs from ours and can be attributed to the different conditions under which the Spirulina was cultivated. The protein content established by the authors, 54.84 g/100 g dw, is close to that found in our study, which was 50.16 g/100 g dw [45].…”

“…The chemical composition of Spirulina has been proven to depend on the geographic region, year, season, climatic conditions, environmental factors, cultivation, and processing methods, as well as the strain used in the bioreactor. The significant variability in research results regarding its chemical composition is also due to the diverse cultivation conditions (acidity, temperature, exposure to light, and drying methods) [43][44][45][46]. The chemical composition of 15 strains of Spirulina, cultivated in controlled environments across various countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Chad, Mexico, USA, India, Peru, Spain), was investigated by Muhling et al [43].…”

Development of New Polyimide/Spirulina Hybrid Materials: Preparation and Characterization

“…Besides carboxyl groups, phycocyanin also consists of carbonyl groups, amines, amides, phosphoryl, and sulfonyl [35]. The phycocyanin is mostly used for its anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammation properties [36]. Spirulina-polymer composites form a relatively new subject of study, mainly used for tissue engineering scaffold [37,38], but due to the unique properties of the components, other application areas can be discovered.…”