Table 3.
Effects of microalgae in clinical studies.
| Reference Numbers | Participants | Microalgae and Doses | Experimental Design | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [17] | 52 sedentary young men (26 ± 5 years) with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 27 subjects with overweight and 25 subjects with obesity |
Arthrospira (Spirulina) maxima 4.5 g/day |
Two intervention groups: Sm: S. maxima supplementation C: Control (Placebo) Duration: 6 weeks + 2 weeks of wash-out + 6 weeks (crossover for the supplementation interventions) |
Intra-group (pretreatment vs. post) comparisons (Sm): ↓TC and TG: only in subjects with dyslipidemia. LDL-c: no changes ↑ HDL-c: only in in subjects with dyslipidemia. Inter-group comparisons (Sm vs. C): ↓TC: only in in subjects with obesity. TG: no changes ↓ LDL-c: in in subjects with overweight, obesity or dyslipidemia. HDL-c: no changes ↓ BMI: in subjects with obesity or dyslipidemia. |
| [18] | 50 patients (25 women and 25 men, 25–60 years old) with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and well-controlled hypertension |
Arthrospira platensis Four-daily dosage of 500 mg each |
Two intervention groups: Placebo Spirulina Duration: 12 weeks |
Effects vs. placebo: ↓ BMI and waist circumference ↓ Serum TC, LDL-c, glucose, and insulin ↑ Total antioxidant state |
| [19] | 56 individuals with obesity (20–50 years old) with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 |
Arthrospira platensis Twice-daily dosage of 500 mg each |
Two intervention groups: Intervention group: supplementation of S. platensis in a dosage of 500 mg twice a day over 12 weeks Control group: two pills of placebo daily over 12 weeks. |
↓ BMI (↓ BW) ↓ TC TG: no changes LDL-c: no changes HDL-c: no changes VEGF: no changes ↓ Appetite |
| [20] | 52 subjects with overweight or obesity with BMI between 25 and 40 kg/m2 |
Spirulina platensis Four-daily dosage of 500 mg/day |
Two intervention groups Intervention SP group: supplementation of SP extract (four tablets per day) for 12 weeks with a restricted calorie diet Placebo group: placebo extract (four tablets per day) for 12 weeks with a restricted calorie diet |
↓ Body weight ↓ Waist circumference ↑ Body fat reduction ↓ Plasma TG, LDL-c ↓ LDL-c/HDL-c ratio |
Special note: Doted lines incorporated for separation between different studies. BMI: body mass index; BW: body weight; C: control (Placebo); HDL-c: high density lipoprotein -cholesterol; LDL-c: low density lipoprotein-cholesterol; Sm: Spirulina without exercise; TC: total cholesterol; TG: triglycerides; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor. ↑ significant increase, ↓: significant decrease.