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The sources of bioavailable vitamin B12 are limited, and most of them are animal-derived. Chlorella vulgaris, a freshwater microalga, is known for immune system boosting, nutraceutical properties and presence of a natural form of vitamin B12. The present study focused on the in vivo evaluation of the Chlorella biomass as a source of bioavailable vitamin B12 to alleviate the vitamin B12 deficiency status of Wistar rats. Experimental animals were evaluated for the vitamin B12 deficiency-related circulatory marker (serum vitamin B12) and functional markers (plasma homocysteine and urinary methylmalonic acid), haematological and histological changes. The results showed that an increase of 2.4-fold in urinary methylmalonic acid (13.01 ± 0.89 µmoles moles of creatinine−1), 2.6-fold in plasma homocysteine (17.18 ± 3.57 µmole L−1), and 48% decrease in serum vitamin B12 levels (252.69 ± 1.46 pg mL−1) in vitamin B12 deficient group compared to control animals. The Chlorella biomass supplementation in the diet led to the restoration of the functional and circulatory markers, hematological parameters, and vitamin B12 content of kidney and liver to control levels. The Chlorella biomass supplementation increased the erythrocyte precursors and MAST cells in the bone marrow and also normalized the histological features of kidney, liver, and lung tissues. The results suggest that the vitamin B12 from the Chlorella biomass was bioavailable and facilitated the improvement of vitamin B12 status in deficient rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current demand for edible vegetable oil is increasing worldwide, and the development of new sources of high-quality vegetable edible oil is an essential task. There is also a huge demand for biodiesel in domestic and industrial applications, and foliage oils could be a good source for diesel applications. The current study aimed at the identification and quantification of fatty acids from commonly consumed green leafy vegetables (GLVs) viz., Hibiscus cannabinus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Basella alba, Basella rubra, and Rumex vesicarius and to calculate the biodiesel attributes of the oil. The total oil content was ascertained as the highest in R. vesicarius foliage (3.91 ± 0.27 g/100 g dry leaf powder). GC/MS chromatographic investigation identified 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid as a significant compound followed by hexadecanoic acid. In Hibiscus spp. C18:3 (49.3 µmol % and 50.4 µmol %) was recorded to be the most noteworthy followed by C16:0 (23.2 µmol % and 21 µmol %) in H. cannabinus and H. sabdariffa, respectively. The GLVs foliage-fatty acid biodiesel attributes were additionally assessed through an empirical formula. Consequently, the overall examined results will be helpful for the investigation of these oils as vegetable oil for human consumption and biodiesel applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]