Hepatoprotective effect of functional biscuits enriched with spirulina†

Hepatotoxicity, i.e., liver damage and impaired liver function, worsens with increased exposure to xenobiotics. Spirulina provides a natural source of many important nutrients that promote human health, in addition to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and prebiotic properties. With the increasing exposure to harmful foreign substances that injure the liver, incorporating spirulina into a safe and easy-to-consume daily food product may protect the liver from toxicity. This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of functional biscuits prepared by replacing wheat flour with spirulina powder (SP) at 5, 10, and 15% levels. The chemical composition, amino acid contents, baking quality, color attributes and sensory evaluation of the biscuits were studied. The hepato-protective effect of functional spirulina biscuits against hepatotoxic thioacetamide (TAA) in male albino rats was evaluated. The protein, ash and fat contents in the biscuit samples increased significantly as a result of the addition of SP to wheat flour. The protein content of the biscuit samples containing 10 and 15% SP increased by 36 and 63%, respectively. The amino acid profile of biscuits containing SP improved compared to the control sample. Regarding baking quality, as the SP concentration increased, the diameter and spread ratio of the biscuits increased, while the thickness decreased. The color of biscuits containing SP was darker than that of the control sample, and the lightness decreased as the level of SP increased. Sensory evaluation revealed that acceptable biscuits could be prepared by replacing wheat flour with up to 10% spirulina. The in vivo results indicated that spirulina biscuits attenuated liver injury as manifested by a reduction in oxidative markers and inflammatory cytokines in the liver. Conclusion: The biochemical, metabolomic and pathological findings demonstrated the hepato-protective effect of spirulina biscuits.