Abstract
- Background
This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to evaluate the therapeutic and supplementary efficacy of Spirulina in managing inflammatory and oxidative stress conditions, addressing ongoing scientific debates surrounding its clinical benefits for both healthy individuals and patient populations.
- Methods
A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted across major electronic databases—including Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed-Medline, and Web of Science—capturing studies published from 1995 up to August 2024. A total of 22 eligible studies comprising 5,385 participants were included in the meta-analytic evaluation to assess changes in key inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers following Spirulina supplementation.
- Results
The meta-analytic findings demonstrated that Spirulina supplementation significantly reduced major systemic inflammatory biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (standardized mean difference [SMD]: $-0.972$ mg/dL), interleukin-6 (IL-6; SMD: $-0.532$), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha; SMD: $-0.579$ mg/dL). Furthermore, markers of oxidative stress showed significant improvements, marked by a substantial decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA; SMD: $-0.929$) alongside a marked increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC; SMD: $1.086$).
- Conclusions
These findings strongly support the role of Spirulina as a valuable functional dietary supplement for both healthy individuals and patients seeking to reduce systemic inflammatory markers and enhance overall antioxidant defense capacity.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464625002877