Abstract
The market for new functional foods and food supplements is rapidly evolving, with a current emphasis on using natural sources. Algae, probiotics, and colostrum are rich sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds with positive effects on human and animal health. To determine the potential for developing new functional foods combining these components, we evaluated their synergistic effects. We assessed the growth of selected bifidobacteria in a medium supplemented with Chlorella vulgaris and its immunomodulatory and cytotoxic effects on the human peripheral mononuclear cells and colon cancer cell lines Caco-2 and HT29. The hypocholesterolemic effects of Chlorella powder and bovine colostrum fermented by Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB12® on lipid metabolism in rats fed a high-fat diet were also determined. Chlorella addition promoted Bifidobacteria growth, with significantly increased inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α and IL-6) levels following 1.0% (w/v) Chlorella stimulation. Rats fed diets containing fermented colostrum with 0.5% (w/v) added Chlorella powder exhibited significantly decreased triglyceride, very low-density lipoprotein, and alanine and aspartate aminotransferase levels, compared to those of the control group. These results support that C. vulgaris is not cytotoxic in intestinal cell models and affords prebiotic and immunomodulatory effects, as well as synergistic triglyceride-lowering effects with bovine colostrum and B. animalis subsp. lactis BB-12.
Highlights
The continuing increases in the global population, expected to reach 9.5 billion by 2050, will necessitate the identification of novel food sources [1]
The aim of the present study was to extend information about functional properties of Chlorella vulgaris and its possible synergic effects with probiotics (Bifidobacteria) and colostrum that contribute to the development of new functional food or food supplements for humans or animals with the content of mentioned components
This study was designed to test the functional properties of C. vulgaris and assess the potential of its combination with probiotics and bovine colostrum for developing new dietary supplements or functional foods and create a new segment of products
Summary
The continuing increases in the global population, expected to reach 9.5 billion by 2050, will necessitate the identification of novel food sources [1]. A bluegreen microalga, constitutes an important source of beneficial nutrients such as carotenoids (e.g., β-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin), pigments, proteins with well-balanced amino acid profiles, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins (e.g., A, B12, E, and K). It is among the few microalgae designated as having Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status by the US Food and Drug Administration and is approved by the European Food Safety Authority [9]. The combination of Chlorella with probiotic strains in dietary supplements or functional foods will permit the creation of a new segment of products
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