{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,27]],"date-time":"2026-04-27T08:21:21Z","timestamp":1777278081074,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,22]],"date-time":"2021-07-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1626912000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antioxidants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The beneficial health effects of Chlorella vulgaris have been associated with the presence of several nutrients and antioxidants, including carotenoids. However, the in vivo bioavailability of Chlorella is still poorly evaluated. In this work, a human intervention study was conducted in 11 healthy men to evaluate the bioavailability of carotenoids within 3 days after the intake of a single dose (6 g) of dried marine Chlorella vulgaris containing lutein (7.08 mg), \u03b2-carotene (1.88 mg) and zeaxanthin (1.47 mg). Subjects were instructed to follow a low carotenoid diet during the experimental phase, starting 1 week earlier. On the day of the experiment, dried microalgae formulated in vegetarian hard capsules were ingested, and blood samples were collected up to 72 h for the analysis of plasma carotenoids concentration by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection. For all carotenoids, the estimated AUC and Cmax values were significantly different from zero (p &lt; 0.05), indicating that a single dose of marine Chlorella vulgaris increased plasma concentrations of lutein (Cmin-corrected AUC = 1002 \u00b5g\u00b7h\/L, Cmax = 20.4 \u00b5g\/L), \u03b2-carotene (AUC = 1302 \u00b5g\u00b7h\/L, Cmax = 34.9 \u00b5g\/L) and zeaxanthin (AUC = 122.2 \u00b5g\u00b7h\/L, Cmax = 3.4 \u00b5g\/L). The bioavailability of other compounds, namely, polyunsaturated fatty acids and trace elements, was also assessed post-prandial for the first time, showing that linoleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and iodine were absorbed after microalgae intake. These findings support the use of Chlorella vulgaris as a source of carotenoids, PUFA and essential trace elements with associated health benefits.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antiox10081164","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,22]],"date-time":"2021-07-22T22:06:48Z","timestamp":1626991608000},"page":"1164","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":28,"title":["A Single Dose of Marine Chlorella vulgaris Increases Plasma Concentrations of Lutein, \u03b2-Carotene and Zeaxanthin in Healthy Male Volunteers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8618-8299","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Teresa","family":"Serra","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnol\u00f3gica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica Ant\u00f3nio Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Sandra D.","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnol\u00f3gica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5611-0047","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lu\u00eds","family":"Pleno de Gouveia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"iMed, Faculdade de Farm\u00e1cia da Universidade de Lisboa, Av das For\u00e7as Armadas, 1649-019 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3405-802X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Agostinho M. R. C.","family":"Alexandre","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnol\u00f3gica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica Ant\u00f3nio Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carolina V.","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnol\u00f3gica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana Barbara","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnol\u00f3gica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica Ant\u00f3nio Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana Carvalho","family":"Partid\u00e1rio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"INIAV, Instituto Nacional de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o Agr\u00e1ria e Veterin\u00e1ria, I.P., Avenida da Rep\u00fablica, Quinta do Marqu\u00eas, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Nuno Elvas","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"iMed, Faculdade de Farm\u00e1cia da Universidade de Lisboa, Av das For\u00e7as Armadas, 1649-019 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7825-0697","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Torsten","family":"Bohn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nutrition and Health Research Group, Department of Population Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 1 A\u2013B, rue Thomas Edison, L-1445 Strassen, Luxembourg"}]},{"given":"Vanessa S. S.","family":"Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Buggypower (Portugal), Lda., Alameda dos Oceanos, Parque das Na\u00e7\u00f5es, 1990-203 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Gon\u00e7alo","family":"Real","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Buggypower (Portugal), Lda., Alameda dos Oceanos, Parque das Na\u00e7\u00f5es, 1990-203 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Pedro","family":"Escudero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Buggypower (Portugal), Lda., Alameda dos Oceanos, Parque das Na\u00e7\u00f5es, 1990-203 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3902-2966","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Naiara","family":"Fern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnol\u00f3gica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4888-9414","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana A.","family":"Matias","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnol\u00f3gica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Maria Ros\u00e1rio","family":"Bronze","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnol\u00f3gica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto de Tecnologia Qu\u00edmica e Biol\u00f3gica Ant\u00f3nio Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal"},{"name":"iMed, Faculdade de Farm\u00e1cia da Universidade de Lisboa, Av das For\u00e7as Armadas, 1649-019 Lisboa, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"949","DOI":"10.1007\/s10811-016-0974-5","article-title":"Algae as nutritional and functional food sources: Revisiting our understanding","volume":"29","author":"Wells","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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