Chemical composition and nutritional evaluation of some natural and commercial food products based on Spirulina

A natural and a commercial Spirulina product of Cuban origin have been extensively studied together with four algal food products available on the Italian market. The contents of macrominerals, trace elements, free and total amino acids, fatty acids and of two important phycobiliproteins (C-phycocyanine and allophycocyanine) have been determined. The results are compared with those of other studies regarding both natural and commercial analogous products. A nutritional and toxicological evaluation of the products was conducted. The analyses were performed using different analytical procedures: macrominerals and trace elements were determined by INAA and by ICP-AES, free and total amino acids (as PTC-derivatives) and phycobiliproteins were determined by HPLC analysis (with UV detection). Fatty acids were extracted using two different methods (one based on benzene and the other based on supercritical fluid extraction with CO2) and analyzed as esters by GC-analysis.