The effect of Spirulina sauce, as a functional food, on cardiometabolic risk factors, oxidative stress biomarkers, glycemic profile, and liver enzymes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients: A randomized double-blinded clinical trial.

Objective: This study sought to investigate the effect of Spirulina on cardiometabolic risk factors, oxidative stress biomarkers, glycemic profile, and liver enzymes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients.
Methods: This randomized, double-blind clinical trial was performed on 46 NAFLD patients. Subjects were allocated to consume either Spirulina sauce or placebo, each 20 g/day for 8 weeks. Fatty liver grade, liver enzymes, anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, and serum lipids, glucose, insulin, malondialdehyde, and antioxidant capacity were assessed pre- and postintervention.
Results: Fatty liver grade was significantly different between the two groups. A significant change for ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) was seen between the two groups ( p  = .03 and .02, respectively), while ALP (alkaline phosphatase) serum levels were not significantly different within or between groups. Pertaining to glycemic profile, all variables, except HOMA-IR, were not significantly different within or between groups. Finally, statistically significant changes were seen in both MDA (malondialdehyde) and TAC (total antioxidant capacity) among the groups ( p  = .04 and <.001, respectively).
Conclusions: Spirulina may improve fatty liver grade by modifying liver enzymes, oxidative stress, and some lipid profiles; however, there was effect of Spirulina on anthropometric characteristics and blood pressure.
Competing Interests: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
(© 2021 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)