Innovative Applications of Spirulina platensis L. and Phycocyanin in Food Products: Effects on the Quality of Sponge Cakes
Open accessAbstract
The physicochemical properties of muffins incorporating different concentrations of Spirulina platensis L. (1 %, 3 %, and 6 %) were evaluated and compared to control muffins.The addition of Spirulina platensis increased the specific gravity and volume of the muffins, with the highest volume observed in muffins containing 1 % Spirulina.The pH of the muffins remained neutral across all samples, while the water absorption capacity decreased as the Spirulina concentration increased.Ash content showed a marked increase, particularly with higher Spirulina concentrations, indicating a boost in the muffins' mineral content.Sensory analysis revealed enhanced color, aroma, and flavor with 6 % Spirulina, though muffins with 1 % and 3 % Spirulina exhibited higher scores for shape and pore uniformity.Similarly, the incorporation of phycocyanin led to a decrease in relative mass, water absorption, and volume, while improving the color, aroma, and overall sensory attributes compared to the control.Color analysis using the CIELab system showed no significant difference in lightness between the experimental and control samples, though the red component (a*) was significantly reduced in Spirulina and phycocyanin muffins.The findings suggest that both Spirulina platensis L. and phycocyanin significantly enhance the nutritional and sensory properties of muffins, providing a functional and aesthetically appealing food product.
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Spirulina's functional properties rely on the composition of polysaccharides and lipids, as well as the amphiphilic nature of proteins.
“They also rely on the composition of polysaccharides and lipids, as well as the amphiphilic nature of proteins, which influence hydration, dispersion, interfacial stabilization, and texture formation [52,72,73].”
From Valorization of Microalgae as Multifunctional Protein Sources in Plant-Based Systems: Structural, Functional, and Processing Challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [73]
The Introduction describes microalgae as sources of fatty acids and protein, and the Conclusion reports changes in muffins’ water absorption and texture after Spirulina was added. Neither section attributes those effects to polysaccharide or lipid composition or to the amphiphilic nature of proteins; the proposed mechanism is unsupported by this paper. (LLM, conf=0.78)
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- E.W. Becker, Microalgae in human and animal nutrition, in: A. Richmond (ed.), Handbook of Microalgal Culture: Applied Phycology and Biotechnology, Second edn., 2013, p. 312.
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Boza, A., Lemos, E., Bürck, M., Gautério, G. V., & Braga, A. R. C. (2026) · Macromol · doi:10.3390/macromol6030054
- Authors
- Mustakova, Milkova-Tomova, Goranova, Nikolova, Buhalova, Gentscheva, Gerasimova, & Panova
- Affiliations
- University of Food Technologies (BG)
- Agricultural Academy (BG)
- Medical University of Varna (BG)
- Medical University Pleven (BG)
- Venue
- Bulgarian Chemical Communications
- Published
- 2025-04-10
- ISSN
- 0324-1130 (ISSN-L)
- 0861-9808
- OpenAlex
- W4416992915
- Cited by
- 0
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- Bulgarian Chemical Communications (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food and Agricultural Sciences
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Seaweed-derived Bioactive Compounds
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food Quality and Safety Studies
- Keywords
- Spirulina platensis, phycocyanin, muffins, sponge cake, functional food ingredients, physicochemical properties, sensory evaluation, color, ash content, water absorption capacity, mineral content, CIELAB color space
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