Enhanced biochemical, microbial, and ultrastructural attributes of reduced-fat labneh through innovative microalgae integration
Open accessAbstract
Reduced-fat labneh, while offering health benefits, often presents a challenge due to its diminished nutritional profile compared to full-fat varieties. Microalgae, such as Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris, are increasingly explored for their potential to fortify foods with essential nutrients. This study innovatively investigates the use of these microalgae to enhance the quality of reduced-fat labneh. The effect of incorporating different concentrations of both microalgae was investigated at different concentrations (0.25, 0.5, and 1%) on nutritional profile (including total solids, fat, protein, carbohydrates, essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, pigments, and phenolic compounds), antioxidant activity, texture, sensory attributes, and viability of the starter culture. The findings revealed that 0.25 and 0.5% concentrations of both microalgae positively influenced the sensory characteristics of the labneh and significantly enhanced its nutritional profile. However, a 1% concentration negatively impacted sensory qualities. Chlorella vulgaris enrichment resulted in higher pH values but compromised texture attributes. Importantly, both microalgae varieties enhanced the viability of the starter culture during 21 days of refrigerated storage. The scanning electron microscope images provide visual evidence of the microstructural changes in labneh with varying concentrations of microalgae and over different storage periods. This research establishes the optimal concentrations for individual microalgae enrichment in reduced-fat labneh, offering valuable insights into their potential to improve both nutritional and sensory aspects. However, it's important to mention that while both microalgae have similar effects, they might differ in their specific impacts due to their unique nutritional profiles and physical properties. Therefore, further investigations could explore optimizing a microalgae mixture and its potential application in functional food development.
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The market share of products containing microalgae increased exponentially from 2014 to 2019.
“Throughout the 5-year period from 2014 to 2019, the market share of products containing microalgae increased exponentially”
From Microalgae biotechnology and its role in sustainable and healthy food design (2025) · cites this paper as Refaey et al., 2024
The Introduction discusses incorporating microalgae into foods, and the Conclusion reports findings about fortified labneh; neither addresses market share. Searches for 2014–2019, exponential growth, and microalgae-product market share found no passage reporting the claimed trend. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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- Authors
- Refaey, M. M., Al-Otibi, F. O., El-Khateeb, A. Y., Helmy, Y. A., Saber, W. I. A., & Zalma, S. A.
- Affiliations
- Mansoura University (EG)
- King Saud University (SA)
- University of Kentucky (US)
- Agricultural Research Center (EG)
- Corresponding author
- Refaey, Mahmoud M.
- Saber, WesamEldin I. A.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2024-09-11
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 21188-21188
- ISSN
- 2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11391007
- OpenAlex
- W4402462940
- Cited by
- 8
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5
- FWCI
- 1.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Saudi Arabia, King Saud University, (RSP2024R114)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food and Agricultural Sciences
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Advanced Scientific Research Methods
- Keywords
- Spirulina platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, starter culture viability, sensory properties, texture, nutritional profile, antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, unsaturated fatty acids, functional foods, microstructure, cold storage
- MeSH terms
- Antioxidants, Nutritive Value, Chlorella vulgaris, Spirulina, Microalgae
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