Profiling the Spirulina Dietary Supplements Available on theRomanian Market

Regarded as a panacea in non-traditional medicine, Spirulina (“Arthrospira platensis”) refers to cyanobacteria that are highly consumed due to their mineral and bioactive compounds. Despite its wide popularity and availability, Spirulina is often present on the market as an insufficiently regulated dietary supplement with scarce quality control and has high batch-to-batch variability. The present study aims to provide the first comprehensive survey of the Spirulina commercialized on the Romanian market. Therefore, a highly diverse sample set, including an in-house cultivated sample, was analyzed and compared in regard to the 13C isotopic signature and the elemental profile of twenty-three elements, including macro-nutrients (Na, Mg, Ca, and K), essential trace elements (e.g., Fe, Zn, Co, and Mn), and possible toxic contaminants (e.g., As, Cd, Cr, and Pb). Results confirmed the potency of Spirulina as a proper mineral supplement source. The in-depth analysis performed in the present work takes into account several critical factors, like formulation, packaging type and material, geographical origin, and labeled growing system, in order to assess whether these marketing strategies are supported. Additionally, the statistical relationships among the price, isotope, and elemental determinations were assessed by Pearson correlation coefficients and subsequently discussed in regard to the biochemical and physiological processes.