SynthesisMolecular nutrition & food research2025
Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris Consumption on Iron Status: A Systematic Review of In Vivo Studies.
Synthesis in Molecular nutrition & food research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris Consumption on Iron Status: A Systematic Review of In Vivo Studies.Molecular nutrition & food research · 2025Pooled it
- Microalgae as novel drug-delivery system for biomedical field.Drug delivery · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affects over two billion people globally and is often treated with conventional iron supplements, which frequently have poor tolerability and limited bioavailability. This systematic review examines the potential of Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) and Chlorella vulgaris as alternative, bioavailable iron sources. A systematic search was conducted by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, identifying 32 in vivo studies (7 human, 25 animal) that evaluated iron-related outcomes of microalgae supplementation. Both A. platensis and C. vulgaris improved hematological parameters, including hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and red blood cell counts. A. platensis showed more vigorous erythropoietic activity, while C. vulgaris enhanced antioxidant defenses, increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and reducing lipid peroxidation. Both microalgae reduced inflammation-induced hepcidin levels, thereby supporting improved iron absorption. No significant adverse effects or organ toxicity were reported in any of the included studies. A. platensis and C. vulgaris are safe and effective microalgal supplements that enhance iron status and antioxidant defense, presenting promising alternatives to conventional iron therapy. However, longer-term human clinical trials are needed to validate these findings and determine optimal dosing strategies.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.