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<records>

  <record>
    <language>eng</language>
          <publisher>Enviro Research Publishers</publisher>
        <journalTitle>Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal</journalTitle>
          <issn>2347-467X</issn>
              <eissn>2322-0007</eissn>
        <publicationDate>2021-04-16</publicationDate>
    
        <volume>9</volume>
        <issue>1</issue>

 
    <startPage>346</startPage>
    <endPage>352</endPage>

 	 
      <doi>10.12944/CRNFSJ.9.1.33</doi>
        <publisherRecordId>12380</publisherRecordId>
    <documentType>article</documentType>
    <title language="eng">Measuring Serum Toxicity Markers to Evaluate the Safety of Commercially Available Spirulina Products in Mice</title>

    <authors>
	 


      <author>
       <name>Feven Tezera Damessa</name>

 
		
	<affiliationId>1*</affiliationId>
      </author>
    

	 


      <author>
       <name>Musa Chacha</name>


		
	<affiliationId>2</affiliationId>

      </author>
    

	 


      <author>
       <name>John- Mary Vianney</name>

		
	<affiliationId>3</affiliationId>
      </author>
    

	 


      <author>
       <name>Jofrey Raymond</name>

		      </author>
	<affiliationId>1</affiliationId>

    


	


	
    </authors>
    
	    <affiliationsList>
	    
		
		<affiliationName affiliationId="1">Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Nelson Mandela Africa Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania.</affiliationName>
    

		
		<affiliationName affiliationId="2">Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity, Nelson Mandela Africa Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania.</affiliationName>
    
		
		<affiliationName affiliationId="3">Department of Health and Biomedical Science, Nelson Mandela Africa Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania.</affiliationName>
    
		
		
		
	  </affiliationsList>






    <abstract language="eng"><p>Spirulina a multicellular, blue-green alga has drawn attention as a viable food supplement due to its suitable nutrient composition, however, there is a dearth of information regarding its safety. This study aimed to measure the heavy metal concentrations in commercially available Spirulina products and evaluate the safety using the in vivo method. A total of 54 mice were randomly divided into three groups; Group 1 (n = 18) served as a control and received a basal diet. Group 2 (n = 20) served as a test and received Spirulina powder (15%) blended with a basal diet. Group 3 (n = 16) serves as a standard and received a basal diet supplemented with nutritional supplements. The findings showed that the concentration of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, cystatin C, and troponin I after consuming the experimental diets was not statistically different between groups (p > 0.05). The concentrations of mercury (0.000036 mg/kg), lead (0.0047 mg/kg), cadmium (0.00048 mg/kg), and arsenic (0.0046 mg/kg) was very little to cause toxic effect and the levels were below the European Communities Commission (EC) recommended maximum heavy metal levels in foodstuffs. Therefore, consumption of Spirulina at a proportion of 15% does not exert any hepatic, renal, and cardiac toxicities in the mice. However, evaluating the safety of higher doses (> 15%) is required.</p>
</abstract>

    <fullTextUrl format="html">https://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume9number1/measuring-serum-toxicity-markers-to-evaluate-the-safety-of-commercially-available-spirulina-products-in-mice/</fullTextUrl>



      <keywords language="eng">
        <keyword>Heavy Metal</keyword>
      </keywords>

      <keywords language="eng">
        <keyword> In Vivo</keyword>
      </keywords>

      <keywords language="eng">
        <keyword> Safety</keyword>
      </keywords>

      <keywords language="eng">
        <keyword> Spirulina</keyword>
      </keywords>

      <keywords language="eng">
        <keyword> Toxicity Marker
</keyword>
      </keywords>

  </record>
</records>