A green single-celled organism called Chlamydomonas reinhardtii served as a model species for topics ranging fromBiofuel or algae-based plasticsextend to plant development. People use seaweed as a dietary supplement because it provides beneficial oils, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and antioxidants. However, the benefits of consuming C. reinhardtii have remained unexplored. Researchers have now completed the first study on humans. This has shown that such green algae could help improve gastrointestinal problems. Particularly associated with irritable bowel syndrome, including diarrhea and bloating.
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for better digestion
For years, scientists have been researching algae as a cost-effective and sustainable source of valuable plant products, particularly pharmaceuticals and biofuels. In collaboration with several employees, the researchers have now achieved their goals. They drew attention to the study of algae as a nutritious food additive to improve human health. The team subjected the biomass used in the study to strict safety tests. The US Food and Drug Administration has classified it as “generally recognized as safe”.
Preliminary data showed that consumption of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii significantly reduced the rate of weight loss in laboratory mice with acute colitis, which is generally related to inflammation of the digestive tract. Building on these results, the researchers set out to test a similar effect. Human volunteers shouldConsume algae, including those with and without symptoms.
Subjects consumed one tablespoon of powdered biomass daily and reported on their gastrointestinal health for a month. Of the hundreds of interested project participants, data from 51 volunteers met the study requirements. The research team included these in the final data analyses. The results showed that participants with a history of frequent gastrointestinal symptoms had significantly less intestinal discomfort, diarrhea and bloating and reported more regular bowel movements.
Future research
The researchers say much more testing is needed with larger groups of participants over longer periods of time. It is currently not entirely clear how algae improve gastrointestinal health. However, scientists believe the benefit is due to a bioactive molecule in algae or possibly a change in gut bacteria gene expression caused by consumption.
Dieobserved resultsin volunteers led to the conclusion, in particular, that the addition of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to the diet not only increases the nutritional value but also alleviates some gastrointestinal symptoms in certain individuals.
